Fairy Tales
by phoenixTales06
Summary: <html><head></head>7 Hosts. 7 fairy tales. 7 tales of love. A twist on our favorite fairy tales for our favorite Hosts.</html>
1. Beauty and the Beast (KyoyaHaruhi)

Title: Fairy Tales (1/7)

Author: phoenixTales06

Summary: 7 fairy tale stories are given the Ouran twist.

Rating: T, for violence and later romance

Chapter Pairing(s): Kyoya/Haruhi

Notes: Welcome, everyone! I'm not sure where this idea first came from, but it's been written down now! Each chapter will feature a different fairy tale and a different couple (with one Host being with Haruhi). Now, the fairy tales will mainly stick with their storylines. I'm just adding the Host Club in it and twisting it a little. The last chapter will be a fairy tale story, but I'm not deciding the couple for that chapter. YOU will! On my page, I'll post a poll after I upload this chapter and I want you to vote! Vote on which couple you want to see happen in that chapter. But for now, let us begin the first chapter, or story I should say! Please enjoy! I have put a lot of hard work into this.

One more thing before I let you read on. I did watch the movie while writing this. XD I just had to, in order to keep things somewhat on track with the movie as well as keep the Ouran characters as they are. I personally think Belle and Haruhi are a lot alike.

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><p>Beauty and the Beast<p>

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><p>(Prologue)<p>

Kyoya Otori was not happy that morning. It seemed that his personal servant, and best friend, Tamaki Suou, had forgotten that Kyoya was not meant to be woken before 10 o'clock in the morning. The young prince knew he had told every one of his servants (who were his only friends, since he never left the castle except to go to balls) that he wished to be awake some time after 10 o'clock in the morning if he wasn't already up.

Apparently Tamaki had forgotten that conversation. He bounced in to the prince's room and jumped up and down on the bed, talking about nothing in particular in his cheerful voice. Kyoya tried to kick the slightly younger teen off his bed but Tamaki seemed to have foreseen this. He avoided the long, thin legs and continued to go on and on about many random topics. Then Kyoya attempted to put a pillow over his head and Tamaki stole that from him too. By now, the prince was awake and extremely pissed off.

Now, all the servants were suffering because of it. Kyoya was never one to yell unless he was really agitated. Which, unfortunately, he was. The prince was stomping down the front hall's stairway when he heard a knock on the door. Since the family butler was on vacation, no one was around to answer the door. Kyoya briefly entertained the thought of not opening the door when he heard the knock again. With a frustrated sigh, he shoved a hand through his hair and walked to the large doors, pulling both open. He let out a shiver when the cold, harsh wind blew inside. An old, hunched-over woman stood at his doorstep, a thin blanket barely covering her frame. Her deformed face looked up at him in hope, gnarled hands clutching the blanket closed under her chin.

"Please, kind sir, I seek shelter from the weather," she wheezed.

Kyoya barely held back a sneer. "No."

The old woman tried again. "Please. In return, I offer this rose."

She brandished a beautiful red rose from under the blanket, seemingly untouched by the winter weather. Its petal were in full bloom and there was no sign of thorns on the stem. Despite the beauty of the rose, Kyoya still turned the woman away, his temper flaring. Why would he allow such a woman to enter his home? There were other houses in the area that would take her in. Besides, Otoris were never known to be kind to others, especially those who they believed were beneath them, also known as commoners.

"Do not be deceived by my appearance, young man," the woman whispered in a cracking voice. "I am simply asking for shelter for one day. I will not take up that much space in your home."

"Have you gone deaf, woman?" Kyoya said, his voice coming out in a hiss. "I said no."

What happened next Kyoya never saw coming. In a bright flash of light, the old woman's appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful woman in front of him. She bore resemblance to her disguise, so no one could say that she wasn't, at one time, the old beggar woman. From stories Tamaki told him, Kyoya knew this woman to be an enchantress, a witch with powers. Her pale face was slightly marred by the frown pulling her red lips down in an upside down smile.

"No, young prince, it is you who have gone deaf," she replied, her voice strong and musical, as if she literally sang every line that came out of her mouth. "While you rest here in your sanctuary, warm and safe, there are others out there suffering. They have not the comforts you currently own. By turning an old woman away, a woman who would have certainly died from one night out in this weather, you have shown that you are unkind and selfish." Kyoya stared at her with a raised eyebrow. Did she not hear of the Otori family before? The Otoris were well-known for being unkind and selfish, as she put it. "Therefore, I have a fitting punishment for you for turning me away like that."

"Punishment?" Kyoya repeated, his eyebrow still raised. "I'm not a child who is to be scolded for such a small offense."

"A small offense?" the enchantress said, her voice raising a little. "A life is still a life, Kyoya Otori. Surely you knew that, for your father is the King of the Southern kingdom." She reached into her robes and revealed a long wooden stick, polished and sharp. "Your punishment, Kyoya Otori, is to be robbed of your comforts but the main thing that will be taken away is your appearance. Since you judged on appearance, it is to be a fitting punishment." The enchantress swished and flicked the stick in practiced movements, her musical voice whispering out foreign words.

Kyoya was not impressed and started to say something when he felt a strange stretching sensation on his hands. He glanced down and cried out. His hands, slightly large and thin, were growing larger, sprouting dark fur the color of his hair, and the tips of his fingers turning into sharp, wicked claws. The sensation spread, turning into pain, and he doubled over, a change taking over his entire body. His feet also were given the same treatment as his hands. His shirt and pants ripped as his body grew bulkier, his skin erupted the same dark fur that was on his hands and feet. As he glanced up at the enchantress, his nose, mouth, and chin jutted outward, shaping into an animalistic snout, much like that of a canine. His vision changed, rapidly losing color and sharpening in definition. The change was complete when his ears traveled up to the top of his head and wicked horns grew from his furry forehead. Kyoya lay on the marble floor, trembling from the pain of the transformation.

"To add to your punishment, all of your servants and the castle will be transformed. No one will want to come here." She stared down at the prince. "However, I will offer a token of good will. This punishment has a cure, if you will. If you can find a woman to love you despite your appearance and if you love her in return, the curse will be broken." She pulled out the same red rose she had offered when she was under the disguise of an old woman. "I will place a spell on this rose. If you can find that woman before the last petal of this rose falls, when you turn 18, the curse will be broken. If you are too late, then you shall remain forever a beast."

Kyoya watched as she worked her magic on the ground beneath him. The entire castle transformed before his eyes into a ruin, everything that was white was now dark and terrifying. He could hear the startled shouts of his friends from the servants' quarters. When he turned back to the enchantress, he found her gone.

Yes, today definitely left Prince Kyoya Otori in a really foul mood. He let out a roar of rage and despair.

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><p>(Chapter One: An Ordinary Day, One Year Later)<p>

Haruhi Fujioka was content. She turned the page of her book, drinking in every word as if she breathed words instead of air. Even though she had read this book two times before, she found she couldn't put it down. It was one of the few romance books she found interesting. No, Haruhi was more for looking at cookbooks, learning more recipies to share with her father, Ryoji Fujioka. Her father was a fashion designer. He made strange designs and hardly ever sold, but he at least was making an effort. He encouraged his daughter to learn more recipies so one day she could open up her own restaurant.

"Haruhi, I'm closing for the day," the librarian said, peeking around the bookcase. The middle-aged man smiled at the sight. He liked Haruhi a lot and helped her out whenever she asked for a certain book. Also, one in a while, she would come help him at the library if he needed help.

"Okay," Haruhi closed the book and reshelved it, writing down the page number on a piece of paper. She would have to pick the book up later.

"You must love that book, dear. This is your, what, third time reading it? Normally you don't read those kind of books."

Haruhi walked with the man back to the front door of the library. "I know, but the story is so intriguing. A prince that is turned into a beast and the only way he can break it is to find a woman to love him despite his appearance." She let out a sigh. "It's a really good story. I can't get enough of it."

The librarian grinned. "If Kasanoda ever got wind of you liking this kind of story..."

The sixteen-year-old glared. "Don't you dare. It's bad enough he thinks he has fallen in love with me and wants to marry me..."

"He would at least provide for you. Your father would be pleased, since you two barely live on the money he hardly makes. You know your dad hates not being able to give you everything you want."

"I know, I know," she mumbled, grasping for her jacket. It was chilly outside and she preferred to walk home. "But I want to marry someone for love rather than how that person can provide for me. I'm not dependent on other people."

The older man patted her shoulder. "I'm well aware of that, as is the rest of the town. At least think about it, Haruhi? We want the best for you."

Haruhi smiled. "Good evening, sir." She opened the door and braced herself against the howling wind.

An hour later she stepped into her house she shared with her father. It was a very small house with one bedroom and bathroom. It was all Ryoji could afford but it was a roof over their heads. Her father was currently working on a project for the upcoming fashion show in the nearby town's fair. If it was a hit, his design would hit all the major clothing stores and he would be offered lots of money.

"Father, I'm home," she called, hanging up her jacket.

"I'm busy, darling. Could you make up something quick so I can return to this design?" Ryoji answered.

"Sure. What would you like?"

Haruhi paused in the kitchen, waiting for her father's answer. She didn't hear anything until a few minutes later, his voice sounding distracted. "That one dish you tried last week... what was it again? The one your friend Renge suggested."

"Got it, Father," she responded, smiling.

"Speaking of Renge, where has she gone? I haven't seen her in a while."

Haruhi let out a sigh. "Don't you remember? She flew back to France because she is getting married."

She heard him snap his fingers. "That's right! Good for her."

"But Father, they don't even know each other! If I were to marry, I would want it to be for love."

From his room, Ryoji let out a snort. "Honey, you are aware that rich and influential families do that sort of thing all the time. It's to benefit both families and further cement ties to the world of the rich."

Haruhi groaned. "I'm lucky that I don't have to do that. Right, Father?" Her brown eyes widened when her father didn't respond. "_Right_, Father?"

"Don't be mad, honey..."

"You didn't!" she cried, nearly dropping her large spoon she was using to stir dinner. "Father, you promised..."

"But Kasanoda would be able to take care of you. He loves you! Not only that, but he is rather good-looking and is well-off..."

"I don't care about looks or money!"

Ryoji pouted in his room. "I want you to be happy and healthy, Haruhi."

"Then let me decide who I should and shouldn't marry! Stop deciding for me!"

_Help me, Kotoko,_ he thought. _She's just as stubborn as you were._

Dinner passed almost quietly. Ryoji tried to cheer his daughter up but she was determined to ignore him. He knew that he should have never agreed to Kasanoda marrying her in the future, but the sixteen-year-old handsome boy seemed genuinely in love with Haruhi, convinced he would make the perfect husband and father to any children she should have. Ryoji knew the Kasanodas were a some-what wealthy family and were well-respected in the country.

After they finished eating, Haruhi cleaned the dishes and headed outside, shutting the door firmly behind her. Ryoji sighed and headed back to his room. His design was nearly finished, draped over a human female mannequin. He hoped this time that someone would take an interest in his design. Sure, he wasn't as well-known as the other contenders and his designs were a little out-of-the-box but he genuinely thought it would sell. He could see his daughter wearing it though she typically didn't wear a lot of feminine clothing.

Haruhi took a seat on a bench near the lake, staring down at the dark water. A slight wind blew by, rippling the near glass-like state of the body of water. Why couldn't her life be her own? She was just a girl, a little nothing that likes to read books and sometimes dream of her restaurant. She was nothing special, so why would someone like Kasanoda take an interest in her and even have the audacity to ask her father for her hand in marriage. Yes, that was the only way for a man to wed a woman but Kasanoda could have told her first, even though she knew she would decline. It didn't matter that he had the looks or the money. It was what was inside a person that counted. Haruhi wanted to have someone who would listen to her and respond back intelligently. She wanted someone who wouldn't tell her what to do and what to not do. She wanted friendship and companionship.

She didn't know how long she sat there, stuck in her thoughts. Her father must be absorbed in his work since the police hadn't been called to find her. She glanced up at the moon and cursed herself for not reading up on how to tell time depending on how high the sun or moon was in the sky. Figuring she had had enough time to calm down, she got up and started walking back home. By this time of night, everyone was in their homes and most of the homes didn't have any candlelight in the windows. _It must be really late_, she thought_, if everyone's in bed._

"What are you doing out and about at this time of evening, Haruhi my love?"

Haruhi let out a groan, refusing to turn around to greet the man she didn't want to marry. Ritsu Kasanoda was one of the tallest boys in their age group, with long bright red hair that was always pulled back into a stylish ponytail tied at the nape of his neck, light-colored eyes that resembled a pale yellow, and creamy white skin. He also taught at the local dojo when he wasn't at school.

"I can't go out for a walk now, Kasanoda?" she asked.

He lengthened his stride so they were walking side by side. "I have asked for you to call me by my first name, Haruhi."

"No one else calls you by your first name."

Kasanoda placed a hand on her shoulder and she held back her shudder. "I don't want them to call me by my name. The only one I want to say my name is you, Haruhi." He spoke her name slowly, rolling off his tongue like velvet.

Haruhi fought to keep her face from showing her disgust. She hated boys like Kasanoda, who were confident in what they wanted and knew that they would get it. _Spoiled rich bastard,_ she thought.

Before she knew it, they had arrived at her house. Kasanoda bowed deeply, taking her hand to kiss the back of it, and he strode away, hands slipping into the pockets of his trousers. She scoffed and fled back inside her house, locking it right away.

* * *

><p>(Chapter Two: Meeting the Beast)<p>

"Haruhi! It's done!"

Haruhi glanced up from her book to see her father come flying out of his room, dancing around giddily. She smiled as she watched him. Seeing him this happy made her happy as well. Recently, Kasanoda had stepped up his acts of flirting with her, even annoucing to the town that they both were getting married. The town was happy, except for the young female population. They were sad that such a handsome boy was getting married to a plain girl but they figured that if he was happy, they would be happy too.

"My dress! It's finally finished!"

"That's wonderful Father." She glanced over at the calendar they hung on a wall. "Just in time for you to pack for the fair."

Ryoji stopped dancing. "What?" He dashed over to the calendar and let out a moan. "It's too soon! Where has the time flown?"

His daughter fought the urge to roll her eyes and she returned to her book. Yesterday she was caught yet again reading the same book and the libriarian gave her the book for free. When she protested, he said it was a pre-wedding gift. Even though she kept the book, she hated that it was a gift for the upcoming wedding. She hadn't even agreed to it and the entire town was preparing for the wedding of the year.

For the next several hours, Ryoji scrambled to pack what he needed for his trip to the fair. He had already carefully put his design in the garment bag he kept for all his latest designs and now he was packing a few bags. When he went to the fairs, he tended to dress more feminine even though everyone knew he was a male. The townspeople had learned to accept the man's strange dress, though it was obvious they looked down at him for it.

"You are taking Georgina, right?" Haruhi asked, referring to their one horse.

"Yes, yes of course," her father said distractedly, zipping up his bags.

"You brought food?"

"Enough for both trips, darling," he replied, hauling his three bags out the door.

They walked to the tiny stable in the back of the house, where they kept Georgina. She was a fairly young horse, with a mix of brown, white, and gray. The horse looked up from her feed bag Haruhi had given her a couple of hours ago. Ryoji moved over to grab a saddle and slung it over the horse's back. He secured his bags on the hooks of the saddle he added when he bought it. After making sure nothing would come off, he turned to his daughter.

"I will be back in a week," he said, his brown eyes taking in the features of his only child. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. He had an odd feeling that something was going to happen and it didn't feel as though it was a good feeling.

"Take care Father, and good luck. I love you."

Ryoji smiled. "I love you too, Haruhi." He swung himself up on Georgina and urged her out of the stable.

Haruhi watched them until she could no longer see them. She turned back toward her house.

"Georgina? Are you sure we took the right turn?"

Ryoji knew that his horse couldn't respond back to him but he had to talk to someone. He hated the trips he took to the fair, since he was alone. Also, he was horrible at reading maps. Every year, the fair was in a different town and he would leave early so he would get there on time.

Now, they were at a fork in the road, one leading to a dark forest and the other leading into a hilly countryside. Georgina seemed to be leaning toward the "safe" road. Ryoji looked to his map. If it was correct, the forest would lead them to the town faster.

"C'mon, girl, let's go this way," he urged her toward the forest. He swore he received a glare from the horse before she moved forward.

It didn't take long before Ryoji realized his mistake. The forest led them deeper and deeper into the thick trees and since everything looked the same, he knew he was lost. He let out a sigh, shoving a hand through his red hair. This was embarrassing.

"Let's see if we can find someone to help us," he said out loud. "I swore I spotted a castle around here somewhere..."

Just then, a loud howl echoed through the darkening forest. Georgina became startled, bucking slightly. Ryoji steadied the reins, trying to calm the skittish horse. After another long howl, Georgina bucked so violently she managed to dislodge her rider and she took off, taking everything with her but the man lying on the forest floor. Ryoji tried to call her back but she was too scared to listen to her master. All she wanted was to go home. Ryoji sighed and pulled himself up.

He wandered around, lost, in the forest until he came upon a small clearing, revealing the image of the castle he had seen earlier. It was closer than the last time he saw it. He stifled a shiver when he looked at it. The stones making up the outer walls were dark and looked ready to crumble if you touched them. Parts of the towers were missing and the several statues that littered the roof were gargoyles, frightening with their devilish smiles. Someone had to live here, he thought, and so he jogged toward the main door. He passed the tall steel gates that were mysteriously left open and took the steps two at a time, halting at the massive doors. He gulped and grasped the handle of the doorknocker, which also resembled a gargoyle. The man rapped the door repeatedly until one of his knocks shoved the wood doors open.

"Hello?" he called out, staring into the depths. He gasped at what he saw inside.

"Oh no, Monsieur, I simply cannot..."

"Oh yes you can, _mon amour_. There is nothing to be ashamed of..."

A small featherduster tried to escape, jumping away from a full-length mirror that was chasing her. She would glance behind her, only to see her reflection, but she knew better. Before the curse fell upon the castle a year ago, she remembered the lustful gazes she received from him. Oh, how she melted under those gazes, the brilliant violet eyes that would darken whenever he looked at her.

"Hello?"

Both the duster and mirror stopped, frozen in place.

"A guest?" the mirror asked, his face appearing in the reflective surface of his new body. His lips formed a frown. It wasn't until he heard a cough from where the sound came from that he snapped into action. He felt the duster and moved hurriedly toward the front receiving hall. He was quickly joined by a coatrack, a wardrobe, a teacup, and a grandfather clock, each object as curious as he was.

"Who would be visiting us at such a late hour?" the wardrobe asked, trying his best to not scrape the floor with his heavy legs.

"Someone's who lost," the teacup chirped in a cheerful voice.

The coatrack rolled his eyes, which were placed under his hooks. "Brilliant deduction, Honey."

"Watch yourself, Hikaru," the tall grandfather clock scolded, his dark eyes locking with the coatrack's golden ones.

"Y-yes, Mori," Hikaru stuttered.

They reached the receiving hall and caught sight of a male with red hair collasped on the marble floor. Immediately, the mirror moved toward the man, his face showing his concern. "Monsieur needs attention," he called. As soon as his voice finished echoing, the pair of doors under the grand staircase opened and a cart zoomed out from the doors. Once the cart stopped by the man, the medical supplies jumped down and started to tend to the unconscious man.

"He's exhausted and seems to have caught a slight cold," a stethoscope replied after they were finished. "I suggest he get warm as soon as possible."

"Good luck with that, especially with not having our Lord find out," the cart said, waiting for everyone to get back on. Then he rolled back to the door.

"Lord Kyoya would be extremely angry if he were to find out," the wardrobe responded, shuddering.

"I'll protect you, Kaoru," Hikaru said, scooting closer to the large object.

Just as the objects turned to look at the man on the floor, his eyes snapped open and he jerked upward. They gave him a wide berth, but also they were concerned. They had no idea how he would react to seeing talking objects instead of human beings.

"H-hello?" the man called again.

The mirror, ever the host, immediately replied, "_Bonjour_, Monsieur!"

Just as Hikaru was going to smack him, the man whirled around, having gotten off the floor. "Who's there?"

"Over here," the mirror responded.

The man's brown eyes turned toward the group of objects sitting in the hall. "Odd, I don't remember seeing anything in here before."

"Tamaki," Hikaru growled, reaching out once again to smack the mirror but the mirror didn't listen. Tamaki the mirror moved forward, causing their guest's eyes to widen.

"Because we came to your aid, Monsieur," Tamaki said cheerfully.

"Y-you can talk!" the man cried out.

"Of course we can!" the teacup, named Honey, said, also stepping forward. "Cool, isn't it?"

"I-I must be dreaming," the man mumbled.

"You are not," Mori said firmly.

"But before we tell our tale, we should get you somewhere warm," Tamaki said, eyeing the man with concern. "You passed out on the floor when we saw you."

"Tamaki," Hikaru growled again. "Our Lord will not be pleased with you..."

"When has he ever been with me?" the mirror said cheerfully. "Now c'mon, Monsieur. Honey, please inform your mother to prepare some tea."

"Yes!" Honey hopped away to the pair of doors where the cart vanished to.

"Hikaru, help steady the man as we take him to the nearest study," Tamaki ordered, already moving again.

Kaoru watched his twin grasp the man with some of his hooks and dragged him, not too gently but not roughly, after Tamaki. He exchanged a look with Mori before they followed.

"...please stop calling me Monsieur. Ryoji will do," the man said to the mirror. Their guest was seated in a wing-backed chair with his feet propped up by an ottoman.

"Why the Lord's chair, Tamaki?" Hikaru asked, crossing two hooks in a pouting gesture, like he was crossing his arms.

Before Tamaki could respond, the cart was back, with a teapot accompanying Honey. He was filled up with hot tea.

"Drink up quickly," the teapot ordered. "You'll warm up faster that way," she added with a smile.

Ryoji glanced down at the teacup and then picked him up. Honey giggled as the man took a sip.

"Mitsukuni," Mori intoned.

"I'll never get used to it!" the teacup said.

"So, how did this happen to you?" Ryoji asked, glancing around at the objects.

A loud roar silenced any reply that would have been made. The objects shrank back, fear evident in their eyes.

"What is it?" Ryoji asked.

"Our Lord," Kaoru whispered.

"WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT A GUEST IN THIS CASTLE?"

The doors to the study blew open and Ryoji turned only to gasp.

"Ah, Lord Kyoya..." Tamaki started.

"AND WHY IS HE IN MY CHAIR?"

"You see... he's not well..."

The monster standing in the doorway glared at the mirror. "I DON'T CARE, TAMAKI! I WANT TO KNOW WHY HE'S HERE!"

"I got lost, sir," Ryoji responded when his tongue and throat loosened. "I didn't mean to cause you distress for trespassing..."

The monster turned to him, his dark steel gray eyes cold as ice. "I did not ask you to speak, commoner," he snarled.

"H-he's telling the truth, Lord Kyoya," Honey stuttered.

Kyoya continued to glare at the human before him. Without another thought, he snatched the red-haired man from the chair and dragged him out of the room. The objects stood in silence, worried for the man.

"His temper has shown itself once more," the teapot tsked. "He wasn't this bad before."

"But that was before the curse, Mother," Honey said, looking sad. "Now it seems his beastial side has consumed him."

"How can he get a girl to fall in love with him with that kind of temper?" Kaoru asked. He stomped one foot down. "He needs to understand that."

"First, you have to get a girl to come to the castle," Hikaru replied, striding over to the nearest window. "I can see why he lets his animal side out. He thinks all hope is lost. Lord Kyoya doesn't have long until his eighteenth birthday."

Kyoya threw the sick man into one of the cells, locked him up, and headed down to interrogate his servants/friends. How dare they try to be nice to this man? Hadn't he told them to not let anyone in unless it was a girl? He knew Tamaki never listened to any order he gave, but he expected the twins and cousins to at least obey him.

He pushed the doors to the study open and hated how his friends flinched from him. He hated that he even succumbed to the animalistic side of him that came out after he was transformed. He wasn't this way, well, not as bad as he was now.

"You didn't have to be rough with him," Tamaki said.

"He trespassed into the castle," he growled, throwing himself on the chair he liked. "That's grounds for being thrown in a cell, if not being executed."

"That's a bit harsh," Kaoru said timidly.

"What if he has a family, Kyoya?" the teapot replied. "What if they come looking for him?"

"Send them away."

"What if he has a daughter?" Hikaru responded.

"You know what to do about girls coming here, Hikaru. Give her the same treatment."

"If he did have a daughter and she hears of how you treated her father, she may not like you," Kaoru replied, leaning slightly against a wall. He didn't put his full weight on it, because he didn't want to ruin yet another wall.

"She will learn to like me," Kyoya said confidently.

"Not if you don't keep your temper in check," the teapot said hotly.

"Mother!" Honey exclaimed.

"It's the truth, Mitsukuni," his mother said. "No girl wants a man who is constantly angry."

"Break the curse and maybe I won't be so angry," Kyoya growled. He put his head in his hands. "I don't like who I have become, this angry beast. I can feel my humanity slipping with every month that passes."

"Then let's hope this Ryoji guy has a daughter then," Hikaru said as he left the room. Slowly, the objects left the room until it was just Kyoya and Tamaki.

"I can't take this anymore, Tamaki," Kyoya said, letting his guard down. Tamaki was his best friend. He felt he could talk to the former blonde human about anything. Tamaki may act like an idiot, but he occasionally gave some good advice and was a good listener. "If I cannot break this curse, I'll end my own life."

Tamaki let out a cry. "K-Kyoya!"

"I mean it. I cannot continue to exist like this, not for the rest of my life. I am slipping farther and farther away, changing into someone that I am not."

"Let's not get hasty," the mirror said, detaching one of his "arms" and laid it gently on his friend's large furry paw. "We still have several months until then. Who knows what will happen between now and then?"

Haruhi was washing dishes when she heard a familiar whinny. She looked through the window and saw Georgina gallop hurriedly toward the stable. The girl dropped her drying dish back into the water and exited the house to run toward the frightened horse.

"Georgina! Where's my father?" She had already seen that his bags were still attached to the saddle. The horse glanced back toward the wooded area barely visible from their town. Her heart beat harder. "Take me to him!" Georgina tried to buck out of her grasp, but Haruhi held firm. "Please, he could be hurt or sick or worse! He's all I have left." Finally, the horse calmed down reluctantly.

Haruhi went to get changed into comfortable riding clothes, including a loose white shirt, brown breeches, and soft leather boots. She grabbed a jacket in case it got cold later and headed toward Georgina. She swung up onto the saddle and urged Georgina into a trod toward the woods. _Please, Father, be safe,_ she thought.

Georgina led her deep into the forest and Haruhi had to steady her when the wolves started to howl. "Easy," she whispered. She directed the horse onward. Once they got to a small clearing, she noticed something on the floor. Haruhi jumped down and hurried over to it. It was a ring, a ring her father would wear every day. It was given to him by her mother Kotoko as a wedding gift. It was a simple platinum band with her parents' birthstones embedded. Her eyes looked up and she noticed a castle ahead. She knew he would have gone for shelter, since it was getting cold out. She hurried back to Georgina and the two took off for the castle.

"Tamaki!"

"Yes, _mon cherie_?"

"Please don't do that. You know how that makes me feel."

Tamaki smirked seductively as he tried to get the featherduster closer to him. "Exactly, my dear."

"Tamaki, you know better than to seduce the dusters again."

The mirror let out a sigh and the duster managed to escape, but not without blushing. "You are a killjoy, Hikaru. Don't you see how much fun it is to pursue women?"

Hikaru crossed his "arms" again. "I don't see the pleasure in it, unless it is with the one I happen to love, and that is clearly not happening any time soon."

"Ah, _mon ami_, you are far too serious. You need to loosen up a little. No wonder you became a coatrack."

Suddenly the coatrack lunged toward Tamaki and the mirror let out a shriek and started running. They flew passed Mori who was in his usual position in the abandoned hallway toward the kitchen. He gave them a disapproving glare and continued to sit there. Eventually both friends wore themselves out and they were panting against a wall near the main hall. They barely caught their breath when they heard the main doors open.

"Guess we were right about Ryoji having family," Hikaru replied.

"Doesn't sound like many, though," Tamaki said.

They froze when they heard a feminine voice called out for her father. Hikaru edged closer to the slightly ajar door and peeked through the slit. His eyes widened. In the main hall was a girl around his age of sixteen. Her hair was a dark brown and curled slightly at the ends. She wore riding clothes along with a jacket. In Hikaru's eyes, she was beautiful, more beautiful than any of the proper, rich girls everyone had been used to before.

"She is his daughter," Hikaru whispered to Tamaki. "She's around my age and she's beautiful."

"She could be the one!" Tamaki said excitedly and he too peeked into the room. He let out a soft squeal and almost barged into the room when Hikaru held him back.

"Not so fast, Tamaki. We will not interfere."

The mirror turned toward the coatrack, his violet eyes turning watery. "Why not?"

"Just trust me."

Haruhi pulled her coat closer to her. The castle didn't feel warm like she thought it would. The main hall was large, with a grand staircase that had two seperate wings that led west and east. Underneath the staircases was a pair of double doors. She had no idea where her father would have gone, so she decided she would explore the castle in order to find him.

Tamaki and Hikaru followed her as she went room to room, calling out for her father. Tamaki wanted to help her but Hikaru restrained him, though he secretly wanted to help her too. They eventually stirred interest from Kaoru, Mori, and Honey, who followed them once they caught sight of the girl. Even the girl managed to get a small smile from Mori, his face lighting up for once.

Haruhi couldn't help but feel as though she was being followed. She would turn around and find no one behind her. But the feeling didn't go away. She let out a sigh and opened yet another door, but this one led to a spiral staircase that journeyed up. She climbed the stairs, her heart in her throat.

"We can't follow her up that!" Hikaru whispered. "She'll know we are there!"

"There were several close calls," Mori agreed.

Tamaki, however, was too busy squealing over how beautiful the girl was. "And did you see her eyes! _Beau!_ Like the best chocolate the world has ever seen!"

"You are blowing this way out of proportion, Tamaki," Kaoru said. "I agree her eyes are beautiful but really... do you have to say things like that?"

"He's French," Hikaru said. "What do you expect?"

Tamaki let out a gasp and hurried toward a corner. The others rolled their eyes. They were used to his antics by now.

Haruhi felt her legs start to cramp a little as she continued to climb the stairs. Why were there so many? Just as she thought she was going to pass out, she reached the top and gasped. There was a blocked off room with bars and behind the bars was her father, lying on the ground.

"Father!" she cried out, rushing over to the bars.

Haruhi saw her father stir. "H-Haruhi... what you... doing..." Ryoji started to cough and she heard his chest rattle.

"You are sick! I've got to get you out of here." Haruhi started to look around the room for a spare key.

"Listen to me... you need to... leave..."

"Not without you, I won't!"

"You don't... understand... there's a ..."

"Well, well, look at what we have here."

Haruhi's eyes darted around the room. It was dark, despite the moonlight shining through the window. Whoever entered was hiding in the shadows. "Who's there?"

"The Lord of the castle," the smooth, deep voice replied.

Instantly she felt angry. "Who do you think you are, locking up a sick man like this? Have you no hospitality?"

Kyoya's back stiffened. Despite her being extremely pretty, it was obvious she was stubborn. When he looked back at this moment, he would feel extremely guilty for treating her like this, but in that moment, he felt angry that she spoke to him like that. He had said he was the lord of the castle, therefore its master.

"He trespassed. That is enough to get him executed," he growled.

"Haruhi... no..." the man in the cell mumbled. Kyoya's keen ears picked up on that and he mentally filed that in his head. _Haruhi... a beautiful name._

"Let him go. He needs medical treatment or he'll die!" Haruhi argued, tears starting to form behind her eyes.

"I cannot let him go," Kyoya said. "He is my prisoner."

Just as he started to turn away, he heard her cry out for him to stop. He turned around, knowing she wouldn't see him. He made sure of that.

Haruhi paused, her mind screaming at her for what she was going to do next. Then, she mustered up her courage and said, "Take me instead."

"WHAT?" Ryoji cried out before he dissolved into a coughing fit. "Haruhi... no... don't know... what you doing..."

She ignored her father. "If you take me instead of him, will you let him go?"

Kyoya kept his mask up, despite the shadows, when what he really wanted to do was smile. Yes, this could turn out perfectly. She could stay here and he would get her to fall in love with him.

"There is no going back on our deal if you wish to continue this," he said.

"I understand," she said stiffly. Something was urging her to take this deal, that it would make her happier in the long run.

She felt something brush past her and unlock the bars that were keeping her father locked in. Whoever the lord of the castle was still kept to the shadows, not allowing her to see him. Was he that hideous? Just as Ryoji started to crawl toward her, he was snatched and led down the stairs. She watched from the window as her father was shoved into a carriage and the carriage moved by itself. She gasped. Then she heard the footsteps on the stairs.

"I didn't get to say goodbye," she whispered to herself. She turned toward where she believed he was. "He's gone?"

"Yes," the man said. "I have made sure he will be transported to a hospital to receive medical attention."

"Thank you," she said. She squinted in the moonlight to try to see a glimpse of the man she was locked in with. "Can you come into the light? I cannot see you."

Kyoya hesitated slightly. He knew how this would go, but she did ask. He slid forward into the patch of moonlight by his feet. He allowed his feet to make contact with the light. He watched her face twist in confusion. He found that her reactions were endearing. At least she didn't seem to hide her emotions like he did. Slowly he revealed himself in the light until his face became bathed in the cool light.

Haruhi stifled a gasp, her eyes going wide with horror. No wonder he kept himself cloaked in darkness. He was a monster, a beast. She couldn't help but think back to the book she loved more than anything, about a prince who was cursed to be a beast. She knew she shouldn't believe in fairy tales but she had a thought that maybe she stumbled into her own personal fairy tale, where a prince was a beast.

Kyoya turned away from her gaze, unable to handle the horror in her beautiful brown eyes. He would wipe that look from her. Not by force, however. He had a feeling that forcing her to do anything would immediately backfire on him. No, he would have to be gentle, patient. Yes, he would enjoy this chase, especially if the prize would be Haruhi as his wife.

"Follow me," he said.

"W-why?" she asked.

"Do you seriously want to stay here in this tower? It gets rather chilly especially if there's a wind."

Haruhi glanced around the room and then decided to follow the beast. "If I may ask, can you tell me your name? I don't want to call you beast or something like that."

There was silence before he answered. "My name is Kyoya Otori."

Haruhi nearly stumbled on the stairs. "You are an Otori? I'm in the next country?"

Kyoya stifled his amusement. "Yes, to both your questions. I'm the third son of the Otori family. I was promised this castle as my home. I have my own set of servants and I hope you will be courteous to them. As you are aware, this is not how I used to look."

Haruhi couldn't help but giggle slightly. "No, of course not, if you are an Otori. You must be cursed then?"

"I know it seems like something out of a fairy tale, but yes. My servants as well are cursed but they look more like objects than a beast."

They passed by the west wing and she couldn't help but notice how much darker this wing was compared to the rest of the castle. "Kyoya... what's in there?"

Kyoya turned to look and his face darkened. "You are not to go in there. It's forbidden."

Haruhi was curious but thought nothing of it. He continued to lead her to the east wing. It wasn't until they rounded the corner that they were ambushed by a full-length mirror, talking excitedly. Haruhi stepped back with a gasp. Sure, Kyoya had warned her that his servants were cursed, but she didn't think they would be cursed as objects.

"Kyoya! _Mon ami!_ So you did find her after all."

She frowned. "Wait, what do you mean he found me?" Then her eyes narrowed. "You were following me?"

In the mirror she saw a face. It wasn't bad-looking. The face didn't have any hair but it did have beautiful violet eyes and a wide smile. "You almost caught us several times, _mon cherie_, but luckily you thought we were men when we aren't."

"Haruhi, this is my personal assistant and friend Tamaki Suou. Tamaki, this is Haruhi."

"I would bow and kiss your hand, but..." Tamaki's eyes gestured around the edges of the mirror.

"It's fine. I probably wouldn't accept it anyway."

Tamaki's eyes went wide and Kyoya contained his laughter. Yes, Haruhi would fit in nicely. Maybe she would keep Tamaki in his place.

"B-but... what girl _wouldn't_ want a kiss on the hand?"

Haruhi let out a huff. "I'm not like the girls you are used to. I'm not a spoiled rich girl who would fall over you and be obedient like a perfect housewife."

This time, Kyoya couldn't keep quiet anymore. He let out a chuckle, causing both the mirror and Haruhi to look at him. Tamaki was surprised at first but then he smiled. If Haruhi caused Kyoya to laugh, then it was settled. He and the others needed to get them together. It seemed as though Kyoya was already starting to fall for the brown-haired commoner. If he kept acting the way he was now, Haruhi would no doubt fall for his best friend.

Tamaki pouted and went to a corner, mumbling about mean girls. Haruhi watched with a raised eyebrow. Kyoya continued to chuckle and gestured for her to follow him. "Do not mind Tamaki. He is a bit, shall I say, eccentric."

"A bit?" she asked, amusement flooding into her voice. "What kind of servants do you have? Are they as weird as him?"

"No one is as weird as he is," Kyoya said, "but they do have their, ah, moments. Trust me, they are wonderful friends and servants." They arrived at the end of the corridor. "This is where you will stay during your time here. If you are in need of anything, my servants would be more than happy to help you."

"What about..."

Kyoya turned to look at her. She looked up at him, at his eyes. They were beautiful, the color of storm clouds. "Yes, Haruhi?"

She held back her shudder. Just like with Kasanoda, her name slipped off his tongue like velvet. She mentally shook herself. "Never mind, Kyoya. Thank you for the room."

He bowed slightly at the waist before he remembered that she was not a rich girl. He straighted up but he did see the slight twinkle of her eye when he bowed to her. "You are welcome. Have a pleasant evening." He turned and strode away.

Haruhi watched him so she didn't notice anyone standing behind her until it was too late. Something jabbed her slightly and she jumped, letting out a yelp.

"Hikaru! Don't startle her like that!"

She whirled around and wasn't quite as surprised to see a coatrack and a wardrobe behind her. The face on the wardrobe was on the very top, where an elegant design would be and the face on the coatrack was underneath his hooks. Both had golden eyes, like what you would see on an animal.

"Good evening," they both said.

"You are twins, aren't you?" she asked.

"Got it in one," they chorused.

"I'm Hikaru," the coatrack said.

"And I'm Kaoru," the wardrobe said.

"We're the Hitachiin twins," they finished together.

Haruhi felt faint. "Hitachiins? _The_ Hitachiins?"

"You sound shocked," Hikaru said with amusement.

"But I thought... Kyoya said you were his servants..."

"Yes, we are but we are more like his friends. We are paid to serve him. When we become of age, we can take over our parents' company," Kaoru responded.

Haruhi stared at them a little while longer and turned back to her room. She opened the door and gasped. The bedroom was beautiful, with a queen-sized four-poster bed complete with white curtains hanging around it. Near the window was a white couch with a few bookshelves lining the wall. There also was another wardrobe perched by the door.

"Don't worry, that wardrobe is normal," Kaoru said with a laugh.

She turned to glare at him only to find that her glare faded once she saw him. She muttered to herself and entered the room. Hikaru and Kaoru waited out in the hallway, much to her happiness, only to realize that they were raised to not enter a lady's bedroom. That much she had learned from Kasanoda.

"Is everything to your liking?" Hikaru asked.

Haruhi shuddered. "Please don't talk like that. It disturbs me."

"You are our honored guest," Kaoru said, looking confused.

"Just treat me like you would treat a friend," she said. "Please?"

The twins looked at each other and back to her. "If you say so," they replied. "Good night, um..."

"Haruhi," she offered with a smile.

_Beautiful name_, they thought.

"Good night, Haruhi," they said, leaving the corridor.

_What is it with these rich guys and being able to roll my name off their tongue?_ she wondered. She opened the drawers of the wardrobe and found some feminine pajamas. Haruhi changed quickly and slid into bed. To her surprise, the bed was warm and she fell asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>(Chapter Three: Haruhi's Stay)<p>

Over the next two weeks, Haruhi started to get used to staying in the castle and its strange inhabitants. She met Mori and Honey the day after her first night at the castle. She took an instant liking to Honey, who visited her every day possible. In fact, most of Kyoya's servants saw her every day, especially the twins and Tamaki. She rarely saw Kyoya but when she did he was polite and engaged her in intelligent conversation, something she always wanted in a relationship. Haruhi blushed at the thought.

By the time she finished with her shower and got dressed, Honey was waiting by her bedside, filled to the brim with hot steaming tea. As she took the cup, she often wondered what it must feel like to him, to be a teacup.

"You seem lost in thought," Honey replied.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Haruhi said.

Honey watched her then he opened his mouth. "You are wondering about the curse, aren't you?" He felt slightly guilty when she jumped. "It's okay, you know. Lord Kyoya told us that we can tell you if you ever ask. It's something you should know, if you are going to stay with us."

"You wouldn't mind..." Haruhi said, looking uncertain.

Honey suddenly smiled. "Of course not! You are our friend. Right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You should take a seat, this could be awhile." He waited until she sat on her bed before he started. "This happened a year ago. Lord Kyoya hates to be wakened before ten in the morning. As you have noticed, Tamaki doesn't follow orders very well, especially those given by Lord Kyoya. Anyway, one morning Tamaki woke Lord Kyoya before ten, causing the prince to be in a horrible mood. An old beggar woman appeared on his doorstep, begging for shelter from the storm. He refused her. She offered him a rose in exchange and he still refused. Turns out, the beggar woman was really an enchantress. She cursed him for judging on appearances. We were cursed along with him."

Haruhi didn't know what to think. It did sound familiar, like the one story she loved more than anything. "Is there any way the curse can be broken?"

Honey eyed her. "There is but he forbade us to tell you that much. Just knowing there is a way to break it should be enough." Then he smiled cheerfully. "Did you want more tea?"

She declined and he hopped away, whistling. She sat there, thinking about their situation. She understood that Kyoya had a temper and she was told that he had a nickname amongst his friends because of his anger when woken before ten. That nickname was the Low-Blood-Pressure-Demon-Overlord. Haruhi couldn't imagine what his anger would be like, since she hasn't experienced it first hand. He seemed too sweet and intelligent to hide an anger like that.

After she finished her thinking, she decided to wander around again. She didn't find the Hitachiin twins anywhere in the corridor, which they usually would be there, ready to tease her. Ever since she told them to act freely around her, they would tease her like they would tease Tamaki, only it turned into flirting on occasion. Though, oddly, they never flirted with her when Kyoya was around.

She entered the main hall and was headed toward the door when she caught sight of the west wing. Kyoya had mentioned weeks ago that the west wing was forbidden but Haruhi was curious. Seeing no one was around, she climbed up the stairs that led to the west wing. It looked like any other corridor in the castle, filled with armor suits and arched ceilings. Various paintings hung on the walls but this hallway had different paintings. There were six paintings, two women and four men. The two biggest pictures were of the parents, since the four kids looked like them. She recognized the color of the eyes of the boys. The paintings must be the Otori family. Her eyes eagerly landed on what seemed like the youngest son, who she knew to be Kyoya, only to be dismayed when the painting was horribly slashed, but she did see some of the features. Haruhi blushed slightly. He was beautiful, from what she could see.

She tore her eyes from his portrait and continued down the hall. She encountered more portraits, this time of the slaves. They weren't as torn up as the others, so she could see what they looked like before they were cursed. Every one of her friends were just as gorgeous as Kyoya was, especially the twins and Tamaki.

At the end of the corridor was a pair of double doors made from oak. One door was slightly ajar. Not wanting to disturb Kyoya if he were in there, she peeked her head in the room. It was dark and full of furniture that had covers on them. Everything except a rose kept underneath a glass container. Seeing no one was in the room, she tiptoed in, not wanting to make a noise. Haruhi drew closer to the rose. _So, this must be the infamous cursed rose,_ she thought. _It really is beautiful_. She reached out to touch it when a furry paw stopped her. Haruhi gasped. She was caught.

"What have I told you about not entering the west wing?" Kyoya asked quietly in her ear.

"Kyoya, I..."

"Enough," he snarled. He grabbed her and took her out of the west wing. "You betrayed my trust in you, Haruhi."

Haruhi didn't look him in the eye, afraid of what she would see. It hurt her enough that she lost his trust, and maybe even his friendship.

"Get out."

Her heart stopped. _What?_

"I said, get out."

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

"GET OUT!"

Haruhi could now understand why the others were so afraid of him when he was angry. She fled the room, down the stairs, and headed straight for the main doors. Kaoru was in the main hall when she scrambled down. He looked started when she flew past.

"Haruhi?" he called, pushing himself off of the wall. "Haruhi, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," she panted, wrenching the doors open. "I can't stay here anymore. Tell everyone I'm sorry."

"Please, what's going on? Talk to me."

Haruhi turned around and Kaoru let out a gasp. There were tear tracks on her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She stepped out into the night and shut the door behind her.

"Damn it, Kyoya," Kaoru grumbled.

"She's gone?" Tamaki nearly shrieked.

Kyoya continued to stare out the window.

"Kyoya! Why did you chase her away?"

"She went into the west wing without my permission. She saw the rose."

"So?" Mori replied, shocking the room into silence.

"She disobeyed me!" Kyoya growled.

"Tamaki has disobeyed you several times and you never reacted like that," Hikaru said.

"You must have hurt her, for she was crying, Kyoya!" Kaoru dropped the "Lord" title to show how angry he was. "I've never seen her cry before."

"She still shouldn't have been in there," Kyoya said angrily.

"Not to intrude," Honey said, "but there's going to be a blizzard tonight."

"And Haruhi's out in it," Hikaru growled, punching a wall with a hook.

Georgina must have gone home for she was nowhere in sight. Haruhi let out a sigh and attempted to cross the bridge linking the castle to the earth. It was hard for her to see past the blowing snow. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave the castle but she couldn't stand to be in the same place as Kyoya. Hell, it even hurt to think of his name.

She charged forth, determined to get home quickly before the weather got worse. Over the sound of the wind she couldn't hear the sound of the wolves howling. They got closer and closer. She didn't notice until they were right in front of her. She gasped. Of all the things... she had to get attacked by wolves. And by the looks of it, hungry wolves. She knew to stay still and not to make any sudden movements, but she knew that hungry wolves would take down anything they could eat.

She tried to run but the wolves were faster. One jumped and tackled her to the ground, landing on her back. Another one grabbed hold of her arm, biting down. She let out a yell. Now she really wished she hadn't left the castle. There would be nothing left of her once the wolves were done with her. A tear fell down her cheek. She wouldn't see any of her friends again. Tamaki, the twins, Mori, Honey, Kyoya...

The wolf that was on her back was suddenly flung off of her. Also, the wolf chewing on her arm was gone. She blinked and looked up, her eyes widening. Kyoya was standing over her, growling at the growling wolves, his gray eyes hard. After a long stare-down, the wolves ran away. Haruhi shivered, her wound coming in contact with the cold snow. She leaned closer to his arm and tugged.

Kyoya looked down at the girl beneath him and noticed her arm. He swore under his breath and immediately climbed off of her, pulling her into his arms. The last thing Haruhi remembered before she passed out was Kyoya mumbling something under his breath about troublesome women.

"Is she..."

"...fine... her arm..."

"Infection... tried... best..."

"...Lord... okay..."

"Worried... locked... west wing..."

Haruhi fought to open her eyes. When she did, she saw two pairs of concerned golden eyes staring down at her. She could feel something touching her hair.

"You're awake," Kaoru whispered, smiling brightly.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You got an infection when the wolf bit you," Hikaru said. Whatever was touching her hair moved and it felt smooth. She realized that it was Hikaru touching her. "We did what we could to fight it. It must have worked, for you are awake and your arm is looking better."

Haruhi looked from his eyes to Kaoru's. Then she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, guys."

"What are you sorry for?" the twins asked.

She looked away. "Sorry for making you worry. It's my fault I walked out there without realizing the weather."

"It's not your fault," Hikaru said, moving his "arm" once more. Though it wasn't quite a hand, she still felt comfortable, relaxed.

"No, it's my fault for being curious. I betrayed him. Now he won't trust me anymore. And it's my fault."

Kyoya stood outside the room, listening to their conversation. His heart hurt when he heard the despair and sadness in her voice. He couldn't help but enter her room, wanting to soothe the girl. The twins looked up and Kyoya motioned with his head that they should leave. After they left the room, Kyoya looked down at her.

"I apologize for yelling at you," he said with difficulty.

"Kyoya..."

He pushed a finger to her lips. "Hush. Let me explain." She stared him in the eyes and nodded. He lifted his finger, trying to keep in his blush. She felt so soft. "The west wing represents eveything that I have lost. You saw the portraits, I assume." She nodded again. He looked away. "I have ruined my friends' lives with my selfishness. Maybe I do not have the capacity to feel anything."

"That's not true," Haruhi said, reaching out with an arm only to realize it was the arm that was injured. She winced. "I have seen what you are capable of. Yes, you are angry, a lot, but that is not you. I have seen you smile and laugh." This time, she reached out with her good arm and touched his furry cheek. The fur there was soft and she stroked it gently.

Kyoya touched her hand, forcing himself not to nuzzle into the warm palm. He felt strange and he already knew why. He, Kyoya Otori, had fallen in love with Haruhi. She was the light to his darkness. He would give anything to keep her safe.

"If you say so," he replied with a smile.

Haruhi let out a laugh.

* * *

><p>(Chapter Four: Letting Go)<p>

"I don't know why I let you talk me into doing this, Tamaki," Kyoya grumbled.

Hikaru, who was busy combing out his fur, chuckled. "Oh, come on, Lord Kyoya. You love her, don't you?" He ducked a little when Kyoya growled at him. "Usually when you like someone, you take them out on... hey!"

Kyoya managed to push the coatrack away from him but Kaoru blocked the prince's escape.

"Just, try it," Kaoru replied.

"Pretty please?" the mirror asked, puffing his eyes out so he looked like a little puppy.

_Not the eyes,_ Kyoya thought. Then he sighed. "Do your worst, Hikaru," he said, plopping back down on the stool.

"As usual," Hikaru said, smiling.

Meanwhile, Haruhi allowed some of the female servants (transformed into different hairstyling utensils) to do her hair while she eyed the dress Kaoru left out for her. It consisted of no sleeves but had shoulder straps to keep the dress on her. It narrowed at the waist but puffed out as the dress reached her hips. The dress was a lovely cream color.

"There we go, dear," the hairbrush replied, settling back down on the desk.

Haruhi gasped when she looked in the mirror. Her brown hair was curled and pulled up into a bun, with a few tendrils of hair trailing down to frame her face. Also, she wore the tiniest amount of make-up, just enough to enhance her brown eyes.

"Now put on the dress and we can be on our way," the teapot responded, smiling at the girl.

"You didn't have to do this, Mrs. Haninozuka," Haruhi said, dropping her towel and started to put on her undergarments.

"Please, dear, call me Mrs. Huni if you must. And yes we did. It isn't often that Lord Kyoya apologizes. He wanted to make it up to you for his treatment of you. Please accept it."

"I do," she replied, finally slipping the dress on. The various servants gave her praise and, as she looked in the mirror, she had to agree. She looked nothing like her normal self. No, she looked more like a princess than the commoner she truly was.

"We'll meet you later on in the evening," Mrs. Huni replied, ushering the rest out of the room. Haruhi stared at herself a bit longer before she donned on her matching elbow-length gloves and exiting the room. Her friends complimented her generously as she walked toward the ballroom, especially Tamaki. She remembered him saying something along the lines of "my little girl has finally grown up!" Hikaru and Kaoru, after finishing staring at the girl, teased the mirror about being a pervert. As she reached the ballroom, she found Mori standing next to the doors. He gave her a warm smile before opening the door. In the middle of the room stood Kyoya and she gasped. He cleaned up really well, with his fur being perfectly groomed and dressed in a blue suit with a white undershirt.

It took Kyoya all of his self-control to not drool over Haruhi's attire. Yes, she would fit in perfectly in his world. He would have to thank the twins for specially designing the dress made for her.

"You look beautiful," he said as she drew nearer.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she said with a wide smile.

He smiled back. "Dinner first, then maybe some dancing?"

"I'm not sure about the dancing," she said, looking down. "I'm not a good dancer."

He pulled her chin up so she was looking at him. "You'll do fine. No one is judging you here tonight." It was driving him crazy being unable to kiss her. The urge was so strong. If the spell were to be broken, he would waste no time in giving her all the kisses she could ever need. After pulling himself out of his daydream, Kyoya offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Dinner was a wonderful affair, for Haruhi got to try brand new foods she never had. Sure, she had tried lots of different foods since her stay here, but nothing compared to what tonight brought. After the food was finished, Kyoya escorted her to the middle of the ballroom. No music played but he twirled her around the floor, dancing to the music in his head. After a few steps, she started to get the hang of the dance. She smiled and dropped her head into his chest, inhaling the pure scent of Kyoya. For some reason, his scent reminded her of spices, like cinnamon, and mint and something purely _him_.

Kyoya tightened his arms around her as her head layed on his chest. He looked up at his friends, who were smiling at them. He found that he couldn't have been happier than he was at that moment.

Once they stopped dancing, the couple went out onto the balcony. The others left them alone, hoping that they would reveal their feelings for the other. It was obvious the two were in love. It was just a matter of them admitting it out loud for the curse to be broken.

Haruhi stared out at the distance, admiring the view of the forest. It wasn't so bad now that she could see above it.

"Haruhi? Is something wrong?"

She looked up. His steel gray eyes were filled with worry and another emotion that caused her heartbeat to speed up. "I'm fine. It's just... I wonder how my father is. I have no contact outside the castle and no one knows that I am here."

Kyoya let out a sigh and produced a hand mirror from his breast pocket. "I've been meaning to give this to you. It's a special mirror, designed to show you anything you want. All you have to do is ask it what you want to see."

Haruhi smiled. "Is this how you found me? That night?"

He turned away but not before she saw a light blush on his face. She never knew that he could blush, especially with all that fur. "Er, yes."

She patted his hand and held up the mirror. "Show me my father, Ryoji Fujioka."

The hand mirror glowed and the reflective surface revealed her father in a hospital bed, looking paler than ever. Haruhi looked stricken. She dropped the mirror from her gaze and met Kyoya's. She must have shown her fear, for Kyoya reached out to touch her hands.

Kyoya couldn't believe he was doing this. His mind and his heart were screaming at him to stop but he knew he had to do this. It was for the best. He could live with the consequences. "I release you from our deal, Haruhi," he spoke. Every word pierced him like a thousand hot knives. "Your father needs you."

Haruhi was shocked then she smiled sadly at him. She couldn't believe he was doing this. And she was so close too, to admitting that she loved him. The sixteen-year-old reached out to touch his cheek with her glove. "Thank you, Kyoya, for understanding."

He nodded and didn't watch as she dashed from the balcony. He couldn't move, he was in so much pain. A few tears squeezed past his iron control and tangled with his fur.

"Lord Kyoya?"

Kyoya continued to sit there, silently grieving his loss. "I let her go."

"Y-you did WHAT!" Tamaki cried out.

"How could you?" Hikaru asked.

"Her father was in danger," Kyoya said. "I let her go... because I love her. I want her to be happy, even if it isn't with me."

* * *

><p>(Chapter Five: Happily Ever After?)<p>

"Father?"

Ryoji smiled, even if it was just a dream. "Haruhi," he whispered.

"Father, wake up!"

"No," he whimpered, hugging his pillow. Wait, a pillow?

Ryoji snapped awake and sitting before him was his daughter, dressed in the very clothes she left the house with. She was smiling down at him, though her eyes betrayed her. He knew something had happened and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

"HARUHI!" he cried, pulling her down into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, Daddy was so worried for you! He didn't hurt you did he?"

She laughed, though it sounded bitter. "No, Father. He was... kind, to me. Kyoya treated me just fine."

He blinked. The sadness deepened in her eyes and a light bulb went off in his mind. He couldn't believe it. His daughter was in love with the monster that took him. From what she said, he wasn't at all like the one monster he had encountered.

"But, Haruhi, how did you escape?"

"I didn't Father," she said. "He let me go."

Before Ryoji could ask any further, a young nurse came barging in, panting. "Miss Haruhi, Kasanoda wants to speak with you. Now."

Haruhi let out a sigh and patted her father's hand. "I'll go take care of this, Father. You wait here." She strode out of the hospital with her head held high.

"Atta girl," Ryoji muttered with a smile.

"I don't believe you."

Haruhi groaned. "I'm telling you the truth. He may look like a beast but he's really sweet and intelligent. He wouldn't hurt anyone." She hated herself for telling a half-lie but she needed to get across to Kasanoda that Kyoya wasn't a monster.

Kasanoda, however, didn't listen. Or at least, appeared not to. "If I didn't know any better, Haruhi, I'd say you are in love with the beast."

She gaped at him. _How did he..._?

"He's better than you are," she found herself saying.

_Smack_!

Her head whipped to the side as Kasanoda smacked her. Those who were watching them talk gasped. Kasanoda was panting, glaring at the girl he loved.

"I'll find this beast and take him down," he growled. "Only then can you love me." He stalked off before she could protest.

"Oh, mother, what do I do know?" she asked quietly.

"Where's the Lord?"

Tamaki's eyes turned toward the door and Kaoru looked at it too. Ever since Haruhi left, Kyoya fell into a deep depression. He refused to eat anything and seemed to sleep a lot. When he was out of his room, he didn't say a word. Every one of his servants could see the tears he was hiding as his eighteenth birthday drew nearer. Already, the petals were starting to fall. Tonight, at midnight, would be his birthday. Everyone believed that it was useless to hope that the curse would be broken by tonight. If anything, they wanted it to be broken so Kyoya would snap out of his depression and be happy, like he was whenever Haruhi was around.

"I think he'll do it," Tamaki whispered, thinking back to when Kyoya told him that he would kill himself after his eighteenth birthday if the curse wasn't broken.

"Do what?" Kaoru asked.

"Take his own life if the curse isn't broken."

The younger twin sighed. "I thought he would. I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself being a beast for the rest of my life. Especially if I couldn't be with the one I love the most."

Tamaki was about to respond when Hikaru burst into the room, panting heavily.

"We've got trouble."

Kasanoda could hardly believe he was doing this, but it had to be done. He needed to destroy this beast so he could marry his beloved Haruhi. The beast must have forced himself on her, forced her to fall in love with him. Kasanoda couldn't stomach anyone forcing themselves on his future bride-to-be. He felt sickened.

"Kasanoda, wait!"

He turned around, eyes widening. Haruhi was behind him, still in her riding clothes.

"Don't do this!" she exclaimed.

"I must," he growled. "He forced you to fall in love with him. You belong to me, not him."

The doors opened to reveal Kyoya and Haruhi let out a gasp. He looked terrible, nothing like the handsome person she saw the previous couple of nights. She wanted to run into his arms and reassure him, to comfort him, to tell him that she loved him.

"What do you want?" Kyoya grumbled, glaring at the red-haired man. Then he noticed the brunette beside him and his eyes widened. "Haruhi?"

She smiled at how different his voice was when he said her name. It was like he was back to his old self. "Kyoya..."

Kasanoda growled. "Hey, Otori, back to me! Let's settle this, man to man!"

"Settle what?" the youngest Otori replied.

"Who should win Haruhi's heart."

Before Kyoya could get a word in, Kasanoda whipped out a long sword and leapt at the beast, yelling out a cry. Luckily Kyoya managed to dodge the blow and he kicked at the younger man's back, sending him flying onto the cobblestone. Kasanoda jumped up and charged again, this time nicking Kyoya's side a little. The beast howled and threw him aside. Kasanoda crumpled against the wall of the bridge.

"Kyoya!" Haruhi called.

Kyoya looked up and started to walk forward, toward the girl he loved, when he felt something slice into his back. He howled once more and fell, landing face down. While Kasanoda seemed to smirk, the already unstable ground beneath him collapsed and Haruhi, having rushed forward to Kyoya's collapsed form, watched as Kasanoda fell to his death.

"Haru...hi..."

"Don't talk right now," Haruhi said, failing to hold back her tears. She spotted a few servants nearby and yelled for them to find the private doctor who lived in the castle.

"Won't be... enough... time..." Kyoya panted, lifting his head to look up into Haruhi's brown eyes. He reached out to wipe her tears away. "Never... got to say..."

"You'll be okay, Kyoya," Haruhi whimpered, clutching the hand he raised to her face. "Help is on the way."

He smiled. "Silly girl... I never got to... finish... what I wanted... to say." He took in a breath, feeling himself start to fade. He needed to tell her, even if it wouldn't matter, even if she never felt the same. "Haruhi... I love... you..."

Haruhi gasped. His gray eyes showed her the truth as well. Just as she was opening her mouth, she felt Kyoya's body start to grow limp. "Kyoya!"

"Love... you," he gasped out.

"KYOYA!" she cried out as his head clunked on the cobblestone, his eyes slipping shut and his body relaxing, just as the cart and all the servants arrived.

"What happened?" Hikaru asked, seeing the lord's body and Haruhi on top of him, clutching his fur.

"We were too late," Tamaki whispered.

"No, Kyoya, no!" they heard her cry. "Please, don't leave me! You said you wouldn't... Kyoya, please, I love you! Please, come back to me! COME BACK, KYOYA!"

The clouds above them decided to open up and downpour onto the grieving servants. It was like the weather knew what had transpired and was sharing their grief.

Haruhi continued to sob into Kyoya's neck, feeling her heart break. She was so distraught that she didn't realize anything was going on until she felt Kyoya slipping away, physically. She lifted her eyes and watched as his body was lifted up above the ground, light glowing from everywhere. Haruhi squinted, since her vison was slightly poor, and she gasped. Fur receded into smooth pale skin, jet black hair the color of his fur covered the top of head. All around her, the servants were gasping as well before they too were engulfed with light.

Once the light faded, Kyoya was settled on the ground, human and just the way Haruhi imagined him to be. Her hope continued to soar when she saw him move, just the slightest bit. She slid over to him, wanting to see those gray eyes she loved so much. As if sensing her, Kyoya opened his eyes, squinting. Then he smiled, a bright, beautiful smile.

"Haruhi," he said, his voice full of love and happiness. Even his voice changed slightly, no longer growling or as deep as it was.

She smiled back, reaching down to brush one of his cheeks. "Kyoya," she breathed.

As their faces started to draw nearer, Haruhi let out a yelp when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and begin to twirl her around. _"Mon ami, mon ami_, you did it!"

She scrambled out of the arms and looked up at a now-human Tamaki, who grinned at her. If she hadn't have fallen in love with Kyoya, she knew she would have fallen for Tamaki.

"Hey, Tamaki, why do you get to hog her?"

Once again, Haruhi was lifted into another hug, but this time, she wasn't spun around and another pair of arms wrapped around her. She looked to see the twins, human as well, with their pale red hair and identical golden eyes. Just as she was going to speak, a boy around the age of eleven hugged her around the waist, looking up at her with big brown eyes. "Hi, Haruhi!"

"Honey?" she asked.

"Amazing, isn't it, how small he is for his age?" Kaoru said, ruffling the older boy's hair. "No one would think he was nineteen."

As Honey let her go to chase Kaoru around, she felt yet another pair of arms pull her into a hug. This time, she knew who it was. She looked up into the smiling face of Mori, his gray eyes warm.

"Thank you, Haruhi," he responded, ruffling her hair the same way Kaoru did to Honey.

"If you don't mind, Mori, I have unfinished business with her."

The two turned to look at Kyoya, who had an eyebrow raised. Mori chuckled and gently pushed Haruhi toward Kyoya, who took her easily back into his arms.

"Thank you, Haruhi," he whispered, his gray eyes shining with love. "You broke the curse."

"But what did I do?" she asked, confused.

He leaned down so their faces were an inch away from each other, his breath touching her lips and sending electric sparks down her veins and nerves. "You love me," he whispered. "You love me as I love you. I was cursed because I didn't know love or compassion. And you broke the curse by making me love you."

Haruhi had had enough of talking by then. She reached her arms around to the back of his neck and moved forward to connect their lips together in a kiss. The two stood there, liplocked, for what seemed like an eternity. They could hear the whistling and cheering from the servants and their friends, but they didn't care. All they had were each other and that was enough for them.

* * *

><p>(Epilogue)<p>

"You outdid yourself again, Kyoya."

Kyoya turned to meet his father's gaze. "Hello, Father," he responded with a nod.

Yoshio looked around the main hall and back to his son. "So, what is this I hear of you getting married?"

Kyoya smiled and Yoshio was pleased to see that his son was happy. "Yes, Father. Next month Haruhi and I will be wedded. If you have the time, you may attend."

The older Otori nodded. "Thank you. So, where is this lovely woman of yours?"

Kyoya let his smile turn into a grin. "Getting ready."

"For the last time, I said NO!"

"But, Haruhi..."

The door slammed shut. The twins stopped their fake crying and leaned into each other as they laughed. It was fun to still tease her about dressing her up in anything possible and Haruhi would decline, knowing the twins wanted to see her naked. She knew it was all in good fun though. Hikaru may have crushed on her but he got over it once he saw how happy Kyoya was with Haruhi and vice versa.

"PERVERTED TWINS! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO SEE MY DARLING GIRL NAKED!"

The twins' golden eyes lit up once more. It was much more fun to tease Tamaki than it was with Haruhi.

Haruhi felt nervous as she stood by the staircase leading down to the party. Kyoya was beside her, an arm wrapped around her waist as he stared at her, smiling happily.

"No need to be worried," he said, leaning down to brush a kiss on her neck, causing her to shiver. He smirked. "Just be yourself and they'll love you."

"Wasn't it you who said that commoners shouldn't speak badly of the rich?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Kyoya took that as a challenge. "And if I did, dearest?"

"Let's see you find out, shall we?" She brushed past him, teasing him as she readied herself for her announcement.

He grinned. How he loved challenges, especially if they made her forget her nervousness. "Oh, Haruhi, you should be glad that I love you so much," he responded, walking up to join her.

"And you should be lucky I love you too," she responded back.

They kissed quickly before heading down the stairs, smiling for the applauding guests.

* * *

><p>Fin<p>

A/N: Can you believe I wrote most of this in one day? I think my muse decided to give me some relief from a writer's block and gifted me with this chance to write something.

For the seventh chapter poll, please put in your reviews who you want Haruhi to hook up with out of the six male hosts. To allow you some thinking before you vote, the seventh chapter's fairy tale is Cinderella. Who should be Haruhi's Prince Charming? Please, please vote! And review, don't forget that too. Tell me how I did!


	2. Little Mermaid (TamakiHaruhi)

Title: Fairy Tales (2/7)

Author: phoenixTales06

Summary: 7 fairy tale stories are given the Ouran twist.

Rating: T, for violence and later romance

Chapter Pairing(s): Tamaki/Haruhi, Kyoya/Kaoru

Notes: This chapter is going to be a lot of fun, and not only because it's Tamaki's turn. I absolutely love the movie Little Mermaid. And just like on the previous chapter, this will be based off the movie but I will change things around to make it a better story, hopefully.

WARNING! This chapter contains yaoi. If you do not like yaoi, skip this chapter.

* * *

><p>The Little Mermaid<p>

* * *

><p>(Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting)<p>

Prince Tamaki Suou stared out at the endless blue ocean, not a speck of land in sight. His father insisted that they celebrate his eighteenth birthday out on the boat their family owned. As much as he loved his family, he didn't feel like celebrating his coming-of-age birthday here. Now that he was officially a man, he would be expected to find a woman to settle down with. Don't get the wrong idea; Tamaki loved women. He played the perfect host and flirted with every woman that caught his eye. However, he didn't feel like he should get married so soon. He was only eighteen, for heaven's sake. He shouldn't be tied down when he was eighteen.

"Your father is going to be revealing his present to you in a few minutes, Tamaki," a smooth, dark voice said from behind him.

Tamaki looked up to the face of his best friend, Prince Kyoya Otori. His father ruled over the next country and both the Suou and Otori families have been friends for years. Kyoya and Tamaki grew up together and were nearly inseparable, despite both boys being complete opposites. Where Tamaki had blonde hair and violet eyes, Kyoya had dark hair and dark gray eyes; where Tamaki was cheerful and outgoing, Kyoya was indifferent and introverted. Despite that, they were like brothers.

Tamaki sighed and ruffled his hair. "I'll be there shortly."

Kyoya stared at his friend through his glasses and joined him, taking a seat on a crate. "What is wrong, Tamaki? I thought you were looking forward to this, to your eighteenth birthday."

"I did, yes," he replied. "But I don't want to be forced to become King so early. I don't want to be forced to marry someone who won't love me back or someone I don't love."

"Your father wants what is best for you," the dark-haired prince said, staring out at the horizon, where the sun was starting to sink. "You are his only son, the only one to continue his legacy that was given to him by his father."

"You are lucky that you don't have to worry about that unless your brothers die," Tamaki said bitterly. "You don't have as much pressure as I do."

Kyoya smiled. "That is true, though I have no desire to become King. I'm happy doing what I do, being an advisor." The two were quiet for a few minutes before he clapped a hand onto his friend's shoulder. "C'mon, before they think we've gone overboard."

* * *

><p>"Haruhi, wait up!"<p>

Haruhi paused, turning around to let her friends catch up to her. Hikaru and Kaoru were her only friends out of the entire merfolk population. Everyone else treated her like the princess she was, whereas the twins treated her like a normal merperson.

"Where were you going in such a hurry?" Hikaru asked, flicking his tail idly. Kaoru was beside him, lying horizontally with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Father wants me to sing in his concert for his birthday," she said angrily.

"So?"

"I have participated in this every year and it's getting boring. Nothing against Arai, he writes beautiful music, but I just don't feel like singing."

Kaoru righted himself. "Wait, you don't want to sing?" He swam over to her and placed his wrist on her forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You love to sing."

Haruhi pushed her friend away. "I feel strange but I'm not getting sick."

"Strange how?" Hikaru asked.

Haruhi swished her tail uncertainly. "Well... I think... I think I might have found my mate."

Hikaru got a sour look on his face while Kaoru squealed. Yes, squealed. "Who is the lucky merman, then?" the youngest twin asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know who it is. I just feel weird, like I had swallowed a live fish and it's squirming inside me."

Kaoru snuck a glance to his twin and back to Haruhi. For his brother's sake, the youngest hoped that Haruhi's mate was Hikaru. For a few years, since the three hit the adolescent stage in life, Hikaru began to notice Haruhi as a woman and potential mate. Though the mating instinct hadn't hit the oldest twin yet, Hikaru still hoped that he and their female friend would be together. Unlike the other merman, Hikaru wanted to be with her just to be close to her, not to ascend to the throne of the seas as King.

"We'll have to keep an eye out, now," Kaoru replied, smiling.

"Just to beat him up if he hurts you," Hikaru growled.

Haruhi slapped Hikaru lightly, smiling to soothe the oldest redhead. "I'm going to head out for a swim, to get away from here. Want to join me?"

The twins started to grin. "Of course we would love to join you." They both wrapped an arm around the mermaid and tugged her forward, causing her to shriek slightly but later laughed along with them.

* * *

><p>"Behold, my present to my wonderful son, Tamaki!"<p>

The large object that took up nearly half the deck shed its sheet, revealing a stone statue of Tamaki. The statue of Tamaki was seated on a rock, one hand tucked under his jaw as he stared out at something. Tamaki stared at it with horror as Kyoya hid a smirk behind his hand.

"That's nothing like me!" Tamaki whined, crossing his arms in a pout. The crew laughed while his father, Yuzuru, smiled.

"You'll grow to like it, especially when it is placed out in public when you become King. Besides, it shows that you are willing to listen to the troubles of your people."

Kyoya snorted and disguised it as a cough when his friend turned to glare at him. _He only listens when he wants to listen_, the dark-haired prince thought with amusement and a slight touch of fondness. His thoughts were cut off when he felt a drop of water hit his hand. Kyoya glanced up, frowning at the dark swirling clouds above him.

"Funny, there was no mention of rain today," he mumbled.

"What was that, Kyoya?"

The older teen pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It's going to rain. I felt it."

"Rain?" Tamaki shrieked. "But... but they said..." He paused when he too felt the first kiss of rain. "Stupid weathermen... never can predict the weather."

"Mother nature is not something you can predict when she'll strike," a crew member replied.

"We are aware of that," Kyoya said.

"Hey, guys, did I ever tell you about that one time I saw a mermaid?" another crew member said, waving his bottle of wine in one hand.

"Several times," the crew shouted.

"Mermaid?" Tamaki asked. "But they are just myths."

"No they aren't," the man who spoke replied angrily. "Merfolk do exist. Go out to sea long enough and you'll see the truth. They look like us, only on the top half. Their bottom halves are fish tails, long, slender, and cool."

"Cool?" another man asked.

"Yes... I felt her tail before she splashed away." The speaker didn't notice when the rain instantly poured down on them and most of the crew scattered away. "So beautiful..."

Kyoya and Tamaki left the man to his story and hurried to Tamaki's room.

"There are no such things are merfolk," Kyoya said. "If there were such things, we would know about them."

"You mean, your family would," Tamaki teased.

Kyoya sent a half-hearted glare. "Just because my family deals with helping animals has nothing to do with it."

"I know about your private zoo where you run tests on all the animals so that we know everything there is to know about that animal, as long as it doesn't die on you."

Before they reached the room, the ship gave a sharp jerk, sending both boys crashing into a wall. Kyoya cursed and rushed out to the deck, Tamaki on his heels. As they headed outside, they gaped. Earlier, it was down pouring and now the waves seemed to have swelled and were attacking the ship mercilessly.

"ABANDON SHIP!" a crew member screamed.

"Get the boats down!" another yelled.

Kyoya braved the wind and the rain toward the captain. "What happened?"

"The waves suddenly appeared," the man yelled. "We must get off the boat before it explodes."

"Explodes?" Tamaki nearly yelled.

"Idiot, there are barrels filled with highly flammable liquids on the ship," Kyoya replied, rolling his eyes. "How long until the boats are ready?" he asked the captain.

"Whenever the crew stops panicking."

* * *

><p>"Whoa, you feel that?"<p>

Hikaru stopped tickling Haruhi and looked over at his brother, who was staring up at the surface. "Feel what, Kaoru?"

"A storm," the youngest twin replied softly. "The waves are forming and they are large."

Hikaru turned to his female friend, a grin forming on his lips. "Wanna check it out? I love waves."

Haruhi let out a sigh but she smiled. "Sure, Hikaru. Just be careful to not let the humans see us."

"Humans wouldn't be stupid enough to be out in a storm like this," Kaoru replied, joining them.

Together, the three teen merfolk swam closer to the surface, poking their heads out of the water. Being a unique specie, merpeople are able to breathe underwater as well as breathe in oxygen from the air. Hikaru whooped as a wave carried him up and back down again.

"This storm is not good," Kaoru whispered. He was more sensitive to storms than any other merperson Haruhi knew.

"Look!" Haruhi suddenly cried, lifting her hand to point in the distance.

"What?" the twins asked.

"A ship."

"So, someone is stupid enough to be out here?" Hikaru asked, raising a red eyebrow.

"Silly humans," Kaoru said, shaking his head. "Always thinking they are the dominant specie on earth."

The three watched from afar as the ship tossed and turned violently as the waves battered the wooden craft. Every now and then, Haruhi saw a human jump off the ship and into the water. Then, after what seemed like minutes, the ship exploded into colors of red, orange, and yellow.

"Fire," the twins mumbled. They grinned. "So cool!"

"But what if some of them got hurt?" Haruhi wondered.

"That's their problem then," Hikaru said.

The mermaid glared at the boys and dived under, swimming fast toward the burning ship. The twins looked at each other and followed her. Despite being best friends, Haruhi's father had made the twins, and her other friend Mori, promise to look after his daughter. While she didn't go looking for danger, she seemed to put another being's life before her own.

"Haruhi, wait!" Kaoru cried, picking up his pace to catch up to the princess.

"They may not have time to wait. They could be pulled under the waves and drown!" Haruhi yelled, pushing herself to go faster.

As she got nearer to the ship, Haruhi began to feel a pull, a familiar pull. Her breath hitched slightly but she didn't waver. Quite the opposite. The familiar sensation pushed her to swim faster than before, the twins calling her name from behind. For that moment, she forgot about everything else other than following the pull, the call of her mate.

"What's gotten into her?" Hikaru asked, annoyed, as he spurred himself on.

Kaoru didn't say anything but he had a feeling he knew what was wrong with their female friend.

Haruhi reached the slowly sinking ship, her brown eyes scanning the humans sinking deeper into the dark water. She relied on the call of her mate to finally catch sight of the human. With her heart hammering her chest, she swam up to the male and pulled him into her arms. When he was secure, she pushed up toward the surface.

Kaoru saw their friend and nudged his twin, pointing up to the surface. Hikaru nodded and together they met their friend on the surface. Haruhi had a human male locked in her arms. The human had nearly shoulder-length blonde hair and was good-looking. The crown on the top of his head suggested that he was a prince.

"What are you doing?" Hikaru growled. "Your father will kill you if he saw you saving humans. You know that they eat fish."

"I couldn't let him drown, Hikaru," Haruhi argued. "Now help me and save some of the others."

The human in her arms let out a groan. "Ky…oya."

The three merpeople raised their eyebrows. Who was this Kyoya person?

"What does he look like?" Kaoru asked, getting closer to the human.

"Dark hair… glasses…."

Kaoru glanced at Haruhi and ducked into the water to find this Kyoya person. If the human was Haruhi's mate and he wanted to find this person, Kaoru would do it. He scanned the floating bodies until he found a human male fitting the description. As he swam over, he felt strange, like he was being pulled toward the human. He froze for a split second. Sure, Kaoru knew he didn't like females but he didn't think he would find a mate, never mind his mate being a human male. The younger redheaded merman shook himself and tugged on Kyoya's arm, pulling the human to the surface.

"Now what?" Hikaru asked, trying to keep afloat as the waves tossed and turned and the rain continued to fall.

"Let's get them to dry land," Kaoru replied. "If they stay out here, they would surely drown. The others cannot be saved."

The three teens swam through the choppy water, with Haruhi dragging the blonde and Kaoru dragging the dark-haired human. Hikaru kept asking if his friend or twin needed help but the two denied any help. When huge waves came their way, they ducked under the water, thankful that at least their human mates were unconscious for those times.

Eventually Hikaru noticed a patch of dry land ahead and pointed it out to the others. The older twin swam further so he could help Haruhi and Kaoru haul their mates onto the sand. They were far away from the ship wreck but the smoke was still visible on the horizon.

The blonde and brunette humans were safely on the sand few minutes later. Haruhi and Kaoru were slightly out of the water, lying next to their mates, gazing softly at them. Hikaru stayed in the water and though he was annoyed that his friend and twin were paying more attention to the humans, he had a soft smile on his face. If anyone deserved finding their mates, it was Haruhi and Kaoru. The unfortunate thing was, their mates were human. Humans are not supposed to know that merfolk still exist.

Haruhi raked her brown eyes on her blonde human mate, smiling. Without realizing it, she began to sing, with Kaoru joining her as they sang from their hearts. Hikaru didn't join them, knowing that they were singing an ancient song only newly-mated merfolk could sing. The song came from their heart, sharing their joy. Usually, the mated couple would sing together but in this case, the humans had no idea what was going on and they were not merfolk, so they wouldn't know the song.

* * *

><p>Tamaki let out a small groan as he started to wake up, but he stopped when he heard the most beautiful voice, or voices, he ever heard. He opened his eyes and instantly caught sight of a beautiful brunette woman on top of him, her big brown eyes shining as she continued to sing in a foreign language. However, despite not knowing what she was singing, it was like his heart knew.<p>

"Prince Tamaki! Prince Kyoya!" someone shouted from far away.

The woman on top of him looked startled and she suddenly vanished from Tamaki's line of sight. Tamaki opened his mouth to tell her to stay, to sing more of that song, but by the time he sat up, she was gone. Kyoya was to his left, also sitting up, staring out at the water, his eyes narrowed.

"What happened?" Tamaki asked, hoping he wasn't dreaming.

"We nearly drowned, I guess, and someone saved us. I woke up to see this redhead above me and he was singing." Kyoya let out a sigh. "It was in some foreign language but it was…"

"… like you knew it anyway," Tamaki finished.

The two friends shared a look before they were assaulted by the surviving members of the shipwreck, asking what happened and how they got there.

Meanwhile, hiding behind some rocks nearby, Haruhi and Kaoru watched their mates intently, wanting to be sure they were safe before they went back home. Hikaru already left, saying that he would tell King Ryoji an excuse as to why Haruhi never made it to the concert. The two watched as Tamaki and Kyoya were ushered off the beach and into the city, and they noticed the two humans they saved look to the water again before giving in. They could feel their hearts ache with every step away their mates went.

"I want to be with him," Haruhi murmured, putting a hand to her chest. "It's like I can't survive without him."

"Me too," Kaoru agreed. He shifted his golden eyes from Kyoya to his best friend. "But, how?"

Haruhi gazed at the water before meeting his gaze. "We need to talk to Nekozawa."

The younger red-haired twin jumped. "Nekozawa? The Sea Wizard?"

"He's our only chance, Kaoru. In order to be with them, we need to be human, yes?"

"I… yes but…"

The mermaid princess dove under before Kaoru could finish his sentence. He let out a soft curse and, with one look back at the shore, followed her. They never took the time to notice a pair of glowing eyes peering after them.

* * *

><p>((((( Chapter Two: Becoming Human))))))<p>

"Are you sure you weren't hallucinating, Prince Tamaki?"

Tamaki looked up angrily. "Of course I wasn't! Ask Kyoya. He had a similar experience!"

The man who was talking with the young prince let out a sigh. "We've tried locating your so-called saviors and found no records of anyone looking like them and being able to sing like that. Obviously you must have hit something to make you think you saw a beautiful woman who sang to you." With that being said, he turned and walked away, shaking his head.

"But it wasn't a hallucination…" the blonde prince murmured, his violet eyes glazing over as he recalled the woman on top of him. He had the privilege of escorting many beautiful princesses, but never had he seen such a beautiful specimen of the female race. Her skin was pale and seemed to shine like a pearl, she had long chestnut brown hair he yearned to reach out and touch, and her eyes were a little larger than normal but seemed to fit her perfectly and her irises were a dark brown, almost like melted chocolate.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the house phone rang. He stared at it until a maid told him it was Kyoya on the other line. Without a word, he picked the phone up from the receiver. "Yeah?"

"I can't get that day out of my head, Tamaki," the dark-haired prince said almost immediately.

Tamaki closed his eyes. "Me too. Everyone thinks I hallucinated the ordeal, other than the ship sinking. I can't get that girl out of my head, or that song."

Kyoya was quiet for a minute. "Has anyone in your area found anything on those two?"

"No, and that's the weirdest thing. I know there was no one else on the water that evening, so how could two people we hardly know save us? If only they weren't spooked by my butler calling out for us...I could have asked some questions."

"I'll see what I can do here. There's gotta be a record of them somewhere."

"Kyoya?"

"Hmm?"

Tamaki opened and closed his mouth a few times before mustering the courage to ask, "Since when were you into boys?"

Kyoya froze, blinking, staring down at his comforter as he thought of a way to answer his best friend. He had never even thought about boys like that before. Like Tamaki, he escorted lots of women around and even kissed a few, so he knew he was attracted to women, but there was something about that boy, the redhead who stood over him and sang that eerily beautiful song, his golden eyes staring down at him like warm amber pools. He had slightly feminine features but he was still male. Kyoya had never seen anyone quite like him and there was something about him that attracted him to this redheaded boy.

"I haven't thought about liking boys before," he responded. "I think it's just him. I've never thought of other males like that until he came around." Then he added, "Maybe it was the song he was singing."

Tamaki let his shoulders relax and he continued to talk with his friend for almost an hour before Kyoya hung up. He put the phone back on the receiver and laid back down, crossing his arms behind his head so his head rested on his arms. The blonde prince stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing. He knew she existed, but where was she?

* * *

><p>It became obvious to the entirety of Atlantica that their beloved princess found her mate. She had been acting strange ever since yesterday, when she came back with Kaoru. Rumors spread fast that she and Kaoru were together, and no matter how many times they protested, everyone kept congratulating them.<p>

"Are you surprised that they listen anymore?" Hikaru asked, resting his back on the soft sand of Haruhi's bedroom floor. "If they got their mind on something, they never let go."

"It's okay," Kaoru said. "At least we know the truth. No one can know our mates are humans, and princes at that. The whole city would be in an uproar. Everyone's been looking forward to you being queen someday."

Haruhi huffed from her bed, flicking her fins angrily. "I don't see what's so great about being a queen anyway. I'd rather be anything else."

There was a knock on the door before two figures entered the room. Haruhi and the twins grinned when they noticed the two mermen that entered were their other friends, Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka and Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka. The two were cousins and very different from each other. Mori was tall, with short dark hair and gray eyes while Honey was short with blonde hair and brown eyes. Mori serves as Honey's protector as well as Haruhi's and Honey came along to help his cousin. Haruhi made fast friends with the cousins and eventually the twins met them as well.

"Are the rumors true, Haru-chan?" Honey asked, throwing his arms around the princess's neck, hugging her. "Did you really find your mate? Who is he?"

Haruhi chuckled and gently unwound his arms from her neck. "Yes, the rumors are true."

Honey giggled and turned to hug Kaoru. "I knew it would be one of you two!"

"To be truthful, I am not her mate, Honey," Kaoru replied.

The small blonde turned his head to Hikaru, who shook his head. "Then, who is it?" he asked, making his voice small but on the inside, he was worried. His friend's mate was someone he didn't know and he didn't know if he could trust that person with his friend's life.

Haruhi glanced down at her hands, suddenly nervous. How would Mori and Honey take the news that her mate was a human? Probably not very well, knowing how protective the two were over her. She felt a strong, warm hand slide under her chin and her head was raised to meet Mori's gray eyes. Everyone always thought Mori had no emotions and to those who knew him, that wasn't true. He was raised to not show his emotions through facial expressions. However, he did show his emotions through his eyes and right now, Haruhi could tell that he was worried and maybe the slightest bit angry, though the anger was not directed at her.

"It's complicated," she said, looking deep into Mori's eyes.

"Please tell us?" Honey asked, suddenly at her waist, his brown eyes welling up with fake tears.

She shared a look with the twins, who both shrugged, and she inhaled a breath before answering, "My mate is a human."

Both Mori and Honey were stunned and for a moment, neither said a word. It clicked in their heads and finally they both started to feel angry, angry at their gods who chose a human to be mated to their dear Haruhi.

"How do you know for sure?" Mori asked, his voice quiet but laced with steel.

Haruhi shivered and looked away. Kaoru swam over and put an arm around her before telling their friends of their adventures in saving a couple of humans' lives, including the discovery of his own mate.

"You sang the song?" Honey asked, dropping his usually cheery façade.

"Yes," both Haruhi and Kaoru replied.

Honey looked up to his cousin and then back to Haruhi and Kaoru. "Does anyone else know this?"

"No one but those who are in this room right now," Hikaru said from his place on the floor.

"It needs to stay that way," Mori said. "And neither of you two should try to contact them again."

Haruhi and Kaoru almost protested but they knew better. No one other than the two of them knew of their secret plan to visit Nekozawa. Hikaru, Mori, and Honey would stop them and might even tell the King what was going on.

Honey's eyes softened when he noticed how tense the two had gotten. Everyone knew that if you kept a mermaid or merman from their mate, eventually they would go insane and die. The same would happen if they were rejected by their mate, which was extremely rare.

"So, what will we do now?" Kaoru asked, his arm tightening on Haruhi. "You know what's going to happen to us."

"It won't," Hikaru spat, refusing to believe his twin would die.

"Hikaru…. if we are separated from our mates, you know what will happen to us. We will…."

"We'll find some way to prevent that," the older redhead growled. "Until then, we need to keep the information of who your mates are secret. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands, especially for Haruhi."

"I don't like being protected like this, even though I understand why you are doing it," she said.

"We know," Mori said, reaching out to ruffle her hair in his signature move of his affection to her.

The door opened once more, revealing Arai, his arms crossed as his tail tapped lightly on the door he opened.

"So, I hope to hear an apology from you, princess," the brunette merman said. "I worked hard to compose that piece for you to sing at last night's concert and you never showed up. I even invited some important people to come hear you sing."

"Arai, didn't you hear that…"

Arai cut off Hikaru's comment. "Yes I did. However, I know all of you well enough to know when you are lying. Haruhi's father might have accepted that lame excuse, but I will not. Maybe I should tell your father, Haruhi, to keep Morinozuka and Haninozuka a permanent watch on you so you can make it to your appointments on time." He shook his head. "You never were this way until the twins came into your life. Now you skip concerts because the twins ask you to."

"It wasn't their fault I missed this one," Haruhi said.

The royal composer eyed her and the others. They were hiding something and he would find out, but not now. He needed to be subtle and directly asking them was not subtle. "As long as you don't miss the next concert, Haruhi, I might let you slide by this one time." With that, he turned and left, closing the door quietly.

* * *

><p>Night fell quickly and Haruhi and Kaoru snuck out of their homes, knowing that at nighttime it was more likely to sneak out than during the day. They met outside of Atlantica and began the long swim to the outskirts of the Pacific Ocean, where Nekozawa called home. Nekozawa once was on the royal court, in the same position as Arai has now. He sold some secrets to some outsiders who hated the royal court and he was exiled, never to be trusted again. Also, Nekozawa was famous for his use of dark magic, though no one wanted to go near him to figure out what he did. More often than not, those who went to him vanished, never to be heard from again.<p>

"Are you sure you want to come along?" Haruhi asked. "I won't blame you if you want to go back."

Kaoru chuckled. "Haruhi, dear, of course I want to do this. I want to get to know Kyoya as much as you want to know Tamaki. It has been a day and I am already anxious to be with him. I know it's going to take some time to get him to like me, but I am ready for that challenge. When I was looking down at him and he was looking back at me…I could sense something had changed in him." He smiled. "And if something did change, then I hope it's in my favor."

She giggled. "Maybe it was the song."

He reached across and shoved her lightly, laughing with her. Nearly an hour later, they arrived at the fortress Nekozawa created for himself and they floated there, the nerves finally getting to them. The building looked like it was carved from ice, with several pointy icicles jutting out in random directions. There were hardly any windows but there was a hole that served as an opening to the building.

Haruhi glanced over to Kaoru, who nodded. Together, they swam to the opening and entered. Despite how large the building was on the outside, it was rather small inside. There was only one room and the ceiling was high, to give the room more space than there was. Seated ahead of them was an imitation of a throne and sitting on the throne was Nekozawa. When he was on the royal court, he had blonde hair and now that he was out here, it seemed he turned it black and it was long, almost as long as Haruhi's hair. Also, something had happened to him ever since he was exiled because he no longer looked like a merman. In place of a merman's tail was eight long black tentacles, as though he merged with an octopus.

"Welcome Princess Haruhi Fujioka and Kaoru Hitachiin," Nekozawa purred from his throne. "What can I do for you?"

"We heard it is possible you can turn merfolk into humans," Kaoru said.

The former merman stared at them and began to laugh, his voice echoing around the empty room. Around his throne were two eels, wrapped around the arms. They stared at the two teens lazily.

"It is possible," the wizard said. "But why would the lovely princess and her friend want to become human? Is it because you found out your mates are… human?" He smirked at their shock. "Oh, don't give me that. My eels were in the area and saw everything. Why wouldn't they tell me that little juicy detail? The princess, the one who is going to take over all of the oceans and seas, has a human mate." He leaned forward. "And that is why you have come to me. You want to be with your mates. Am I right?" The two nodded. "You do have a time limit on this spell. I will give you two three days to make both princes fall madly in love with you and kiss you. If they do not kiss you by the end of the third day, you will revert back to your real selves and belong to me."

Haruhi and Kaoru knew there was a catch and they didn't expect that it to be to belong to Nekozawa. Who knew what he would do to them?

Nekozawa smirked again. "This leads me to our last bit of business before I cast my spell. I don't do spells for free. I don't take money either or anything you would think of using for payment." He folded his hands together on his lap. "What I want from you both is…. your voice."

"Our voices?" both Haruhi and Kaoru asked.

"Yes. I hear you have beautiful voices and that you sang that song to your mates that day."

"How would be communicate with them if we can't talk?" Haruhi asked.

Nekozawa snorted. "You have your bodies. Use your body language. There are other ways of communicating that don't require using your voice. Now, are we in agreement?"

Haruhi looked over at Kaoru and the two seemed to hold a conversation just by staring at each other before turning back to Nekozawa and replying together, "We agree."

Nekozawa laughed. "Excellent."

"WAIT!"

The three whirled around to face Hikaru, Mori, and Honey as they swam hurriedly into the room. Nekozawa smirked and snapped his fingers. His two eels shot out and wrapped around Honey and Mori, stopping them. Hikaru tried to reach the throne but another eel was summoned.

"Now, to complete our transaction," Nekozawa said, flicking a wrist and summoning two identical scrolls, "I need you two to sign this. A contract, saying you agree to all the above terms we discussed. The choice is yours."

With their friends watching, Haruhi and Kaoru swam up to the scrolls and signed them, their hearts in their throats. The scrolls vanished immediately and the two were surrounded by a bright light. Nekozawa laughed as the transformation continued and the three newcomers were released, as there was nothing else to do but watch. Once the light dimmed, they could see Haruhi and Kaoru floating in the water, but instead of tails, there were a pair of human legs. It wasn't until the two began to wrap their hands around their throats that the others figured out they were human in every sense. Hikaru grabbed his twin and Mori grabbed Haruhi and together they swam to the surface. Haruhi and Kaoru took in deep breaths of air, nearly choking on the water they nearly swallowed.

"What were you thinking?" Hikaru growled, glaring at the two new humans. "No, wait, scratch that. _Why_ did you do it? You know Nekozawa has tricks hidden up his sleeve. You could have gone to someone else and received better results than this."

Kaoru glanced at his older twin before touching his neck, trying to communicate that he couldn't speak. Hikaru's eyes widened as he remembered the price given to receive human legs. Meanwhile, Honey was hugging Haruhi and whispering into her ear that they understood why she did it but at least she could have told them.

"Now, we just need to figure out a way to make those princes fall in love with Haruhi and Kaoru and kiss them," Honey said, pulling away from his female friend. "Given that they can't speak, it's going to be hard to convince them of the fact that it's them."

"Until they break the spell by kissing them," Hikaru said.

"Humans don't go around kissing everyone they meet either," Mori replied.

"First, we need to get them to land and find something to wear," Hikaru added. He smirked at his brother. "I don't think people would react kindly to seeing a human male and female completely naked walking around."

Haruhi glared at Hikaru but there was humor in her eyes that softened the look. Kaoru just slapped at his twin and the five swam toward the shore where the twins and Haruhi dropped off Tamaki and Kyoya.

* * *

><p>(((((Chapter Three: Is It Love?)))))))<p>

That morning Tamaki went down to the shoreline again and took a stroll, glancing every now and then back to the water. Where were those two mysterious people he and Kyoya met? They could not have just disappeared into thin air, which left the blonde prince with the thought that they ran into the water. That wasn't right either, because no human could last long underwater before drowning.

"Where are you?" he whispered against the wind.

He turned away from the water and stopped dead in his tracks, his violet eyes widening. Lying on the beach, a few yards away from him, were two bodies that looked exactly like the two people he and Kyoya met, only they were dressed in rags. Heart in his throat, Tamaki jogged over to them.

"Hello there," he said, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

The brunette female looked up and Tamaki felt his heart stop working in his throat. It looked like she was the woman he met, but he needed to know if it was her. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She frowned and tried again. Her companion, the redhead Tamaki saw with Kyoya, put a hand on her shoulder, his golden eyes sad.

Tamaki let out a sigh, disappointed. Of course it wasn't them. "You can't speak, can you?" he asked, meeting her brown eyes again. She shook her head, her own eyes sad. "That's okay. How did you get here, though? I know I didn't see you earlier." The two looked out at the water and back to him. "Were you in an accident?" They shrugged their shoulders, making Tamaki's head ache with frustration. "Never mind. Mind if I help you? You don't look presentable enough to the people in this town. If you did come from an accident, you haven't had time to bathe."

The two people dressed in rags accepted his help and followed him from the beach. They turned around to see their friends poking out from a rock. Honey and Hikaru sent them a thumbs-up while Mori smiled.

Day one has officially started.

* * *

><p>Kyoya swooped around them the moment he opened the door of the Suou mansion. He agreed with Tamaki that they looked like them but since they couldn't speak, there was no way to tell. Tamaki's maids did a good job at cleaning them, even offering some servant clothes to wear for the moment until a seamstress could be called.<p>

"Where did they come from?" Kyoya asked his friend, his eyes still on the redhead.

"All they did was look to the water," Tamaki answered. "I don't think they magically appeared from the water."

"What, you finally convinced yourself to not believe what everyone says?" Kyoya joked, sending his best friend into a corner, poking at a mushroom he seemed to have conjured. The two guests glanced over at Tamaki worriedly. "Don't worry about him, he's not always like this but I couldn't help but tease him." The dark-haired prince glanced at them again. "I don't know if he introduced himself yet, but that's Prince Tamaki Suou. My name is Prince Kyoya Otori." He slipped out a pad of paper and a pen from his back pocket and offered it to them. "What are your names?"

The female took the pad and took her time to neatly write her first name. She passed it off to the male and once he was done, Kyoya took it. He was impressed at how elegant their writing was and he read their names eagerly. The female was named Haruhi and the male was named Kaoru.

"Tamaki, I have their names," he called to the brooding prince. At once Tamaki dashed over to Kyoya and read the paper.

"Haruhi and Kaoru," he said, testing their names on his tongue.

Haruhi shivered when she heard her name roll off his tongue. Kaoru smirked at her and she glared at him, not knowing the two princes were watching them.

"They must be friends," Kyoya stated, sliding his glasses back up his nose. "If not closer than that."

Tamaki fought down an urge to glare at Kaoru. This may or may not be the girl he met almost two days ago but he was already possessive of the Haruhi. He didn't want anyone else to get her attention, even if Kaoru was a friend of hers.

Then he got an idea. "Hey, how about we go out for lunch? I'm starving. My treat, of course."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow and Haruhi and Kaoru looked to Tamaki before nodding in agreement.

* * *

><p>If this is how humans ate, Kaoru thought, then it wasn't so bad. Both former merfolk tried some of the dishes Kyoya and Tamaki ordered, since they didn't know what to eat. Kyoya brought the pad and a pen with him so Haruhi and Kaoru could communicate with the humans better. Kaoru slipped another piece of steak into his mouth and savored the several spices on his tongue. The meat was cooked, something he was not used to, but he found he liked it. Merfolk always ate their food raw and they stayed away from the other fish if possible.<p>

Meanwhile, Tamaki was fawning over how cute Haruhi was when she ate her steak as well. "You would think you never tried meat before," he said. When she put another piece in her mouth and let out a small moan, the blonde prince blushed slightly.

Kaoru pulled the pad of paper closer to him and wrote out a note. _Haruhi and I normally don't eat meat but this is excellent_. Kyoya smiled at the redhead, though he didn't know why he did. Sure, Kaoru looked like the boy who sang to him that day, but since this boy couldn't speak Kyoya had to assume that he wasn't the one he was looking for. However, that didn't stop the dark-haired prince from eyeing the redhead.

"We're pleased you like it," Kyoya responded.

The four finished eating and headed outside to enjoy the warm weather. Haruhi and Kaoru were still trying to get used to using two legs and needed help from the princes, but otherwise it was a perfect day. Tamaki joked about making women fall for him and didn't think he would have a woman literally fall over in his presence. Haruhi felt a spike of jealousy develop deep inside her but she didn't show it. She should have figured that, with Tamaki's good looks, that lots of human women would throw themselves all over him. Kaoru, however, noticed and he reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze before he let it go.

"Where should we go now?" Tamaki asked, stopping in the middle of the crowded street. "Is there anything you two want to do?"

Kaoru scanned the area and noticed a horse and carriage nearby. He saw that two of them were unoccupied and his mind set up a plan to get the two princes to fall for him and his friend. The merman tapped Kyoya on the shoulder for the pad of paper and he wrote, _How about we take a carriage ride? Prince Tamaki can take Haruhi and I'll go with Prince Kyoya._

"Not a bad idea," Kyoya replied, "but you do know, Kaoru, that you don't have to call us by our titles."

Kaoru didn't answer on the paper but he tugged on Kyoya's hand, pointing to the carriages. Kyoya let out a sigh and followed the redhead, trying not to think about how good the other boy's hand felt in his, the skin slightly cooler than his own despite being out in the sun. Tamaki politely bowed, offering his hand to Haruhi, who, with a blush, accepted and allowed the blonde prince to escort her to the carriage. She fought back her jealousy as the two of them entered the carriage, with Tamaki up front to steer the horses.

"Meet you back here?" Tamaki asked Kyoya, who also took the front seat. The other prince nodded and the two carriages set off in opposite directions.

Haruhi couldn't help but be amazed at the scenery that passed by as Tamaki led them out of the city and onto a path that headed into a forest. She could hear lots of sounds, including birds. Humans were incredibly lucky to have such beauty to see every day.

"Something wrong, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked, glancing back at the brunette.

Haruhi looked up and shook her head. She wished she could tell him that she was fine, but the spell to make her human took her ability to do that. With that, she decided she would do what she could to make Tamaki fall for her and to kiss her.

Kaoru made the same decision as his mate led him over a bridge. His golden eyes were affixed on the back of Kyoya's shirt. He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around Kyoya and kiss the older boy silly, but as far as Kaoru knew, Kyoya didn't like other boys. He had heard the stories of how both princes escorted a lot of women. Just like Haruhi, the merman found himself almost insanely jealous of those girls. How dare they even touch his mate, or allow him to kiss them? He clenched his hands into fists and fought hard to keep his face neutral. Kaoru knew that Kyoya would occasionally send him worried looks.

About half an hour later, the four regrouped and headed back toward the castle. The walk was silent and full of tension, as the princes wondered what had happened to cause their guests to be this way while the two non-humans thought of ways to fight their jealousy and to get the princes to love them. The two had less than 3 days left. How could they get the two to fall in love with them in the two days left?

The next day was slightly better than the previous one. Haruhi and Kaoru went down to the shore to let their friends know that they were not successful, using only the twins' telepathic link. Hikaru gave them a few suggestions to try. Mori stayed silent, as usual, while Honey kept telling them that they would get the princes to fall in love with them.

"It seems like they have an idea as to who you are already, if the way they look at you is any indicator," the oldest and smallest of the group said. "They aren't sure because you can't talk. If you break the spell, though, you can tell them that they are correct."

"I hope you are right," Hikaru said, relaying Kaoru's response.

Haruhi and Kaoru said goodbye to their friends and headed back to the castle, where they saw Kyoya holding back Tamaki, who was screaming that Haruhi and Kaoru were kidnapped.

"Send out the police, anyone! What if they are cold and hungry and begging for us to come find them?" Tamaki screeched, squirming in Kyoya's arms.

"I'm sure nothing has happened to them, you idiot," Kyoya said calmly. He noticed movement in his peripheral and saw that the two supposedly missing people coming toward them. "If you look over there, moron, you will notice that they are fine."

Tamaki stopped and looked to where Kyoya was looking. He sagged in relief when he saw the brunette and redhead. "Where have you been?" he asked them, forgetting that they couldn't speak. "I was so worried someone took you!"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. Kyoya let out a sigh and pulled out a pad of paper out. He made sure he kept some nearby otherwise it would be hard to communicate with the two. When he got home, he would have to talk with his father if there was any way to give them a voice again. The dark-haired prince remembered that they mentioned their condition was a recent thing, meaning something happened to cause them to lose their voice. Not only that, but Kyoya wanted to hear them speak, to see if they really were the two people Kyoya and Tamaki saw that day.

_We went down to the shore for a while, Boss,_ Kaoru wrote. _We should have left a note but we were anxious to see the water again. We're sorry for worrying you_.

"No need to apologize," Kyoya said, smiling at the redhead. "I was not worried."

_We're still sorry though,_ Haruhi wrote, her brown eyes locking with Tamaki's purple ones.

"Apology accepted," Tamaki said, feeling his worry wash away when he looked into her eyes. He could easily drown himself in those eyes and he wouldn't mind. "Hey, why don't we go out on a boat ride today? I know how you two love water and thought it would be perfect."

The two guests agreed quickly and paired off again, with Kaoru going with Kyoya and Haruhi with Tamaki. Haruhi kept her eyes on Tamaki as he rowed them away from the shore and out onto the water. He truly was a beautiful creature, she thought with a smile. Every once and a while Tamaki would look at her and give her a huge smile that made her heart melt. When he did it again, Haruhi couldn't help but lean forward, her hands on the edge of the boat to keep her balance. Tamaki's purple eyes widened but he found himself leaning forward, drawn toward her. Haruhi's heart pounded furiously in her chest as she got nearer, her breath hitching slightly. She couldn't believe it was going to happen, receiving her first kiss. Just before their lips met, their boat tipped over, sending them both into the water. Haruhi sputtered, her head whipping around to see what turned them over. She caught sight of a tail of an eel slipping back into the water and she cursed in her mind.

"Haruhi! Are you okay?" Tamaki asked, coming over to her.

She nodded her head. It was only shallow water, so she couldn't drown, and she felt fine other than disappointment. She accepted his hand and he pulled her up and back into the boat.

Meanwhile, Kaoru amused himself with watching his human flick glances at him. It was obvious that the dark-haired prince didn't know what he felt about him, or that he was trying to figure out something. Kaoru knew that Kyoya was the more mature out of the two princes and he found he liked that. He didn't know what he would do if he was paired with Tamaki instead of Kyoya. A smile lifted his lips as another plan appeared in his mind. Hikaru may be the more immature of the twins but Kaoru was the mastermind of their plans and was more mischievous. Kaoru moved closer to Kyoya, who seemed to not notice, as he was looking out on the water surface. The smile turned into a smirk and the redhead leaned closer, not close enough to kiss the dark-haired human but close enough to make anyone nervous. Kyoya then turned toward him and blinked at their closeness. He stared into the amber eyes in front of him and nearly inhaled at what he saw in those depths. It wouldn't take much to lean down and press his lips to the redhead's lips. Oh, how he wanted to taste those lips. The dark-haired prince shook himself mentally.

Kaoru continued to smirk, watching his human mate battle his feelings. With that accomplished, he leaned back and went back to his seat, leaving Kyoya confused but full of wanting.

* * *

><p>It was the third day and still Haruhi and Kaoru were nowhere near close to the princes kissing them. Sure, they almost kissed their mates yesterday but that was foiled. Well, Haruhi's plan was interrupted and Kaoru pulled away before kissing Kyoya, but they wanted the perfect moment to get the princes to kiss them.<p>

However, today was not their day.

"Well, I must say, this is quite unexpected," Yuzuru Suou, Tamaki's father, said that morning while Haruhi was descending down the stairs. She froze on the bottom step and pressed herself against the wall, peeking into the room.

She gasped. Standing next to Tamaki was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and wide blue eyes. The woman wore a simple pink dress that showed off her curves and slim figure. Strapped around her neck was a beautiful seashell.

"Are you sure this is her, Tamaki?" Yuzuru asked.

"Yes I am, father," Tamaki said in a monotone voice. "She is the one I wish to marry."

Haruhi put a hand to her mouth, eyes filling with tears. She almost broke down when the girl opened her mouth and said something in Haruhi's voice. The mermaid princess knew that Nekozawa had given that poor girl Haruhi's voice but Haruhi had no idea why. All she knew, right there and then, that she lost. With a soft moan, Haruhi fled up the stairs, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Kaoru was coming out of his room when he noticed Haruhi fly past him and into her room. He gave the door a confused look and started down the stairs, wondering what upset his best friend and future queen. The redhead made it down the stairs when he noticed Tamaki standing next to a girl and that he wanted to marry this girl immediately. The girl, however, said that she wished to be married at sunset. Kaoru let out a growl when he noticed that the girl, who was now Tamaki's fiancée, sounded exactly like Haruhi. His gold eyes flew to the necklace and noticed that it was in the form of a seashell. Nekozawa must have done this, Kaoru thought. He was about to turn around and comfort his best friend when he heard another commotion. He turned toward the front doors and noticed that Kyoya was holding the hand of a redheaded boy that looked like Kaoru.

"Tamaki, I have wonderful news," Kyoya said in a flat tone that showed nothing of his enthusiasm.

"What is it, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked, also in the same tone.

"I'm going to be married tonight."

"What a coincidence. I will be marrying this evening as well."

Kaoru couldn't believe his eyes. This was not happening. Nekozawa had the two of them played the instant they signed the contract. Now there was nothing they could do. Their mates would become married men this evening and the spell on the two merfolk would wear off and they would become permanent slaves to Nekozawa. Kaoru clenched his fists and headed up the stairs to Haruhi's room.

* * *

><p>"You're serious?" Honey asked later that day, his brown eyes wide.<p>

Hikaru nodded, his face downcast. "Yes, Honey, I'm afraid it's true."

"Nekozawa played them, didn't he?" Mori asked, but it was more like a statement than a question.

"He did. Unless we somehow stop the weddings from happening, there's nothing we can do."

"But we must stop the wedding!" Honey said. He immediately swam from Hikaru's room.

"What is he planning?" Hikaru asked Mori.

"Stopping the wedding." The dark-haired merman began to follow his cousin from the room. "And I'll help him. There's no way those two will become the servants of such a bastard."

Hikaru's eyes widened as he heard Mori curse for the first time. After he snapped out of it, he immediately left as well. He wanted to help, for his twin and his best friend's sakes, though he knew, as the cousins did, that Haruhi and Kaoru might not make it through the day, due to the rejection of their mates. If the marriage was sealed, the spell would vanish but the two would not survive long. He wondered why Nekozawa would make the two of them servants if they wouldn't even live long.

* * *

><p>Kaoru and Haruhi sat by the shore, staring out at the water. They didn't want to think about what had happened only hours earlier, when Yuzuru Suou and Yoshio Otori started to plan their son's weddings, though Yoshio did wonder why Kyoya was marrying another guy. It ended up not mattering, for both of the prince's soon-to-be spouses supposedly came from rich families.<p>

"Hey Kao-chan and Haru-chan," came a soft voice from the ocean.

The pair blinked and found themselves staring at their friends. Honey couldn't help it and he climbed up onto the sand and into Haruhi's arms, his short arms going around her shoulders. He felt her tremble and his heart broke. He knew that Haruhi and Kaoru were in shock and would soon start the decline before they died from heartbreak. "I'm so sorry, Haru-chan," he whispered, stroking her hair.

Hikaru also held his twin in an embrace while Mori stayed in the water, looking on sadly.

"We'll stop the weddings," Hikaru whispered to his twin. "I will not lose you and Haruhi. If we stop the weddings, hopefully we can save you."

Kaoru smiled bitterly. _Even if you manage that, Haruhi and I will be slaves to Nekozawa. It doesn't matter. And eventually we would die from being separated from our mates._

"Not necessarily," Hikaru said out loud. "We are going to take down Nekozawa and dissolve your agreement."

_But we will…._

"Don't say it!" Hikaru growled, cutting Kaoru off. "I can't…. I can't lose you both."

"Trust us, Kao-chan," Honey said from Haruhi's arms. "Things will work out."

"Now let's stop those weddings," Mori replied.

Haruhi and Kaoru were filled in on the plan and began to race back up to the castle while the three mermen dived under the water to race toward the boat, which would take off shortly. By the time Haruhi and Kaoru got to the loading dock, the ship already left and was too far away for them to jump onto it.

"Down here!" Honey shouted.

Kaoru and Haruhi jumped down into the water and together the five merfolk swam toward the huge ship. They could clearly see the ceremony taking place on the ship, with Kyoya facing his fiance and Tamaki facing his fiancée, both looking blank.

"It's like they are being controlled by something," Hikaru said.

"Wait, what's that around their necks?" Mori asked.

"Kaoru said he saw seashells around their necks, which obviously changed their voices to copy Kaoru and Haruhi's voices," Hikaru said, relaying Kaoru's message.

"Nekozawa must have given the necklaces to the humans and told them to marry the princes," Honey said.

They reached the ship and Haruhi and Kaoru began to climb up the ladder on the side, their hearts pounding.

"I'll create a distraction," Honey said darkly. "Hika-chan and Takashi, find a way to get rid of those necklaces."

Kaoru was the first one to get off the ladder so he helped Haruhi onto the ship. Despite what they looked like, they headed toward the ceremony, hoping to stop the wedding even though they had no voices. There were other ways to stop a wedding. They just entered the ship deck where the ceremony was being held when a swarm of seagulls dove from the sky and pelted the two couples, only attacking the two humans with the seashells around their necks. One seagull nipped at the necklace on the girl's neck and she slapped it away, growing angry.

"Hurry it up!" she shrieked to the pastor.

"Fine, fine," the pastor said, rolling his eyes, as if this happened before. "Do you, Tamaki Suou, take Éclair Tonnerre to be lawfully wedded wife, so long as you both shall live?"

Haruhi started to move forward, intending on getting Tamaki's attention, when she found herself pinned to a wall. Nekozawa grinned down at her. Kaoru picked up where Haruhi left off but found himself pinned as well, by some unknown male. They squirmed against their captors, even trying to scream but nothing came out of their mouths.

"I do," Tamaki said monotone voice.

"And do you, Éclair Tonnerre, take Tamaki Suou to be your lawfully wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?"

Éclair smirked. "I do," she said in Haruhi's voice.

The pastor turned to Kyoya. "Do you, Kyoya Otori, take Akira Nomura to be your lawfully wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Kyoya replied.

"And do you, Akira Nomura, take Kyoya Otori to be your lawfully wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Akira murmured in Kaoru's voice.

Haruhi and Kaoru stopped fighting against their captors, their strength giving away and they slowly started to slump as their hearts broke and their spirits let out screams as the marriages were sealed. But, before the couples could kiss, two seagulls managed to rip away the chain holding the necklaces and the seashells burst as they hit the floor. Both Kyoya and Tamaki blinked, snapping out of their dazes. They stared at their spouses, who were grinning and attempting to pull them into a kiss.

"Stop the charade already," Nekozawa replied, his voice booming. "It's too late now."

His eyes were full of glee as the sun sank below the horizon, not caring that Haruhi and Kaoru both gained their voices back, as they were nearly half-dead now. He let out a laugh as Haruhi, in his grasp, began her change back into a mermaid. He laughed even more when Kyoya and Tamaki looked his way, their eyes widening as they noticed Haruhi and Kaoru were not human anymore. "It's been fun, boys, but I have business to attend to. Say goodbye to these two, for you will never see them again."

"STOP HIM!" a voice shouted from the edge of the ship.

Kyoya and Tamaki turned to the voice, seeing a small boy with blonde hair clinging onto the side of the ship. Instantly the seagulls dove toward Nekozawa, who only laughed and jumped off the ship with Haruhi in his arms. The male holding Kaoru's limp body went over and threw the younger redhead over, his job complete.

"What the hell is going on?" Kyoya said, stepping away from Akira, who calmly stared at his husband.

"Isn't it obvious, Kyoya?" Éclair said, smirking. "The two who you thought were human are not human."

"I got that," the dark-haired prince snarled.

"And they are about to die," Akira said gleefully. "They can leave us alone now." He looped his arms around Kyoya's neck.

"Get off me!" Kyoya growled, pushing the young man away. "And what do you mean, they are about to die?"

"In legend, if a merman or mermaid's mate rejects them, the merman or mermaid will die, because they are so devoted to their mates. They only became human to try to win you over, using a spell. The spell lasted 3 days and they would have to make you fall in love with them and kiss them in order for the spell to make them human forever," Akira said, sounding bored.

"What was with those seashells?" Tamaki asked.

"Why, they held the payment those two paid to be with you, dear Tamaki," Éclair said. "They paid their voices to become human. Those two you met at the shore, when they saved your lives, were them. And you just killed them."

"No!" Tamaki cried and he ran toward the edge of the ship, getting ready to jump over. Kyoya joined him and together they jumped into the water, not caring who saw. All they knew was that their saviors and the two they fell in love with were dying and it was all their fault.

"You won't be able to make it to them in time, you know," a voice said from the water.

The two princes looked to their left and were greeted with an identical redhead that looked like Kaoru but didn't sound like him.

The merman raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Where are Haruhi and Kaoru?" Kyoya demanded.

"Probably on their way to Nekozawa's place but our friends are trying to retrieve them," the redheaded merman replied. "I was sent to stop you, because you would die before you even got to his place."

"And who are you?" Tamaki asked, treading water.

"I'm Hikaru, Kaoru's twin."

"So, Haruhi and Kaoru are…."

"A mermaid and merman? Yep. When they saved you that day, they found out you were their mates and made a deal with Nekozawa to be with you. He gave them three days to find a way to make you fall in love with them and kiss them before the sun sets on the third day. If they failed, they would become his servants. The payment was their voices, because you heard them sing that day."

"What were they singing?" Kyoya asked.

Hikaru smiled bitterly. "It's a song that we sing when we meet our mates. It comes from the bottom of our hearts, because we are overjoyed when we meet our mates. We are very dedicated to…"

He was cut off when Mori and Honey resurfaced, carrying Haruhi and Kaoru's bodies. The group swam toward the shore, which seemed so far away. The princes kept their eyes on Haruhi and Kaoru, worrying about how pale and lifeless the two looked. When they reached the shore, Kyoya took Kaoru from Mori and Tamaki took Haruhi from Honey, laying the two out on the sand. Haruhi and Kaoru didn't look any different, other than having dolphin-like tails instead of legs.

"What do we do to save them?" Tamaki asked, staring down at Haruhi, his heart slowly breaking. He had done this to her.

"It's never been explained," Hikaru said.

"Meaning it's never happened before," Mori added. "No merman or mermaid has ever recovered from having their heart broken."

"That's not helpful," Kyoya snapped, not taking his eyes away from Kaoru. He reached down and stroked the redhead's cheek. "Now I know why your skin is always so cool," he murmured, chuckling sadly. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Kaoru's in an impulse he could not fight.

Tamaki watched the two before he looked back at Haruhi. "I'm so sorry, Haruhi," he whispered. He also kissed her, pouring all of his feelings into the kiss. He may not have known her long but he already loved her. There was something about her that drew him to her.

Hikaru looked away, his throat becoming obstructed, and Honey flew into his cousin's arms, sobbing. Mori, however, watched the couples on the sand. Kyoya and Tamaki both drew away from their kisses, hovering over them as if waiting for a sign the two were okay. Just when they started to get up, they heard groans coming from Haruhi and Kaoru. The princes fell to their knees again and waited anxiously. The three mermen in the ocean also perked up.

"Oww…" Kaoru moaned.

"KAORU!" Hikaru yelled.

"Not so loud, Hikaru," the younger redhead murmured, opening his eyes and instead meeting the dark gray eyes of his mate. "Kyoya?" he asked, the name sounding foreign on his tongue.

Kyoya couldn't help but kiss the merman again. On his other side, he could see Tamaki doing the same to Haruhi, who looked confused for a second before meeting the blonde prince's kiss, closing her brown eyes. Kyoya was the first to pull away from their kiss, staring down into those amber eyes he grew to love. "Are you alright?" he asked, brushing away a lock of red hair.

Kaoru smiled brightly. "Never better, now that I am with you."

Meanwhile, Tamaki continued to kiss Haruhi, meeting her passion with his. He was overly excited to see her wake up and call out his name in that musical voice. When his body tried to signal he needed to breathe, Haruhi pulled away as he gasped in a breath. He looked down at her to see her smiling and then she opened her mouth and started to sing that song again, the one that he heard that night. He knew Kaoru must be singing too but he only heard Haruhi's voice.

Kyoya watched as Kaoru sang and he found he loved that voice. He would do anything to hear it again and again. Just as soon as it started, the song was over and he found himself disappointed. When he found his voice again, after being awestruck, he asked, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"About what?" Kaoru asked.

"About everything."

Kaoru chuckled. "Would you have believed us if we did? We are supposedly a myth in your world. If I told you I was a merman, you would have laughed at me and you would have laughed even more if I told you you were my mate."

Kyoya could hardly disagree but he never voiced it. He was just glad Kaoru was alright.

"What happens now?" Tamaki asked.

Everyone went quiet. Haruhi pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared into Tamaki's purple eyes. "I don't know. Merfolk have never mated with humans successfully before. Being from two different worlds is something we can't ignore. Not only that, but you two are princes and I am a princess of my world."

"You are?" Kyoya asked, glancing over at the brunette mermaid.

She nodded. "My father would be furious if he heard of this."

"And so I would have," a voice came from the ocean.

The seven turned to look at King Ryoji, who stared at them from the water. Immediately, Hikaru, Kaoru, Mori, and Honey bowed, though Kaoru had a hard time of doing that on the sandy shore.

"Father," Haruhi murmured.

Tamaki and Kyoya stood up and bowed as well, knowing their manners. Their mates stared at them curiously.

Ryoji looked the two boys up and down. "I do not trust humans, not after the way they treated us several years ago. We wiped out the memory of merfolk from their minds, disappearing into the ocean so they would never find us again. I had heard that my daughter had found her mate and I was excited, wondering which merman won her heart, but I was shocked to hear that it was a human, a prince nonetheless." He locked eyes with Tamaki, who froze. "If I were to give you my daughter, would you treasure her and be there for her and love her with your entire being?"

Tamaki gulped before answering, "Yes, I swear I will love her. I already have, ever since she saved me from drowning. I was already falling in love with her when she was human and I still love her, even though she is a mermaid." He glanced back at Haruhi and smiled at her.

"Same goes for me, with Kaoru," Kyoya said, gaining Ryoji's attention. "I never thought I could love someone as much as I love Kaoru. Hell, I've never given any thought that I would love another male, but Kaoru proved me wrong. I love him unconditionally, whether he is a merman or a human."

Ryoji surveyed the princes and then Kaoru and Haruhi, briefly touching their minds. Once he was satisfied, he raised his trident from the water. "Then I give to you one gift, since you proved your love to me."

His trident glowed and two beams of light hit Haruhi and Kaoru. Tamaki and Kyoya cried out, shocked. Hikaru watched sadly but he had a smile on his face. As long as his twin was happy, he would support Kaoru's decision. Honey giggled from his spot on Mori's shoulders and Mori had a smile on his face. When the light died down, Tamaki and Kyoya stared in wonder as they noticed Haruhi and Kaoru were human. The princes turned to the King but found he was gone.

"Now what are you going to do with us now?" Haruhi asked, her amusement evident in her voice.

Tamaki turned back to Haruhi and grinned. "Well, for starters, I think we should get married and then we can take things from there."

Haruhi smiled and pulled the blonde prince down for a kiss. "I love you," she whispered against his lips.

Tamaki closed his eyes, his heart feeling lighter than ever. "I love you too, Haruhi," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>((((((Epilogue)))))<p>

"You may now kiss the bride."

Tamaki let out a laugh and pulled Haruhi to him, kissing her deeply. On the other side of the alter, the pastor told Kyoya he could also kiss his husband and he wasted no time in doing so, earning a squeak from Kaoru.

"May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Tamaki Suou and Mr. and Mr. Kyoya Otori."

The entire room stood up and clapped, smiling at the two couples still kissing on the platform. Kyoya was dressed in a black tuxedo while Kaoru was dressed in a white one. Tamaki was wearing a black tuxedo, just like Kyoya, and Haruhi was in a beautiful white dress. The pastor politely cleared his throat to stop the couples from kissing, much to the amusement of the audience. The couples left the room, trying avoid the rice being thrown at them.

"Why do you throw rice at the married couple?" Kaoru asked later as they waited for their carriages.

"It's tradition, dear," Kyoya said, linking hands with his husband.

"Ah, one of those things," Haruhi said, laughing. "I'll never understand you humans."

"I think I can change that," Tamaki whispered into her ear. "I love you, Mrs. Suou." He knew that he would never stop tiring of calling her that, knowing that she belonged to him.

Haruhi smiled. "And I love you, Mr. Suou."

((((_))))

The end

Wow… this story drug on forever, it seemed like. It also changed a lot in those times I tried to write it. I ended up going away from the original plot set down by Disney but that's okay.

I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed this story. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I might come back and edit it later, but for now, I'm going to bask in the thought that I finally finished this. Also, an fyi, I never intended to include yaoi in this chapter. I'm a fan of yaoi but I never wrote it on this site, thinking that maybe a few of my fans would not want it. However, it seemed as though Kaoru and Kyoya wanted it to happen and it seemed to fit. I can't promise that I won't include yaoi in the other stories, but if you do not like yaoi, then please either skip the yaoi parts or stop reading. I do not want reviews where you say it's disgusting how I included yaoi in the story. It just happens, okay?

Please, please review! And I'm sorry again if it's a bit rushed. And yes, Nekozawa was destroyed by Mori and Honey. I was in the mood and forgot to write that.


	3. Swan Princess (HikaruHaruhi)

Title: Fairy Tales (3/7)

Author: phoenixTales06

Summary: 7 fairy tale stories are given the Ouran twist.

Rating: T, for violence and later romance

Chapter Pairing(s): Hikaru/Haruhi

Notes: And now, let us continue with the story with Hikaru and Haruhi's story, the Swan Princess. I think it fits their relationship, just like how Kyoya and Haruhi were paired in the Beauty and the Beast story. Please, continue reading and reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts on this. ALSO, please vote on the poll on my page. It's not too late, not until we get to the sixth chapter, which will be Honey and Haruhi's story. I'm not telling who is winning the poll but I can say this…. I am quite surprised who you guys have chosen so far.

* * *

><p>The Swan Princess<p>

* * *

><p>"Hikaru, please hurry up."<p>

7-year-old Prince Hikaru Hitachiin glared at his door, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His twin, Prince Kaoru Hitachiin, snickered. He knew his brother didn't want to go across the border to meet his future wife, Princess Haruhi. Kaoru liked Haruhi but Hikaru didn't for some reason.

"Come on, Hika," Kaoru said, slipping on his shirt over his head. "The faster you get dressed, the sooner this will be all over."

"I don't want to see her," Hikaru growled. "She's no fun to be around. She always follows us around and never acts like a princess."

Kaoru rolled his amber eyes and headed over to pick a shirt from their closet. "I think it makes her different from the other princesses. At least she doesn't blush every time we come over."

"I wouldn't mind if she acted like the proper lady she is supposed to be, but she doesn't."

"Give her a chance, Hikaru. We will all grow up sooner or later."

* * *

><p>Haruhi stood next to her father, King Ryoji, watching the Hitachiin carriage pull into their driveway. She smiled when the queen and her two sons exited and headed their way, though it faltered when she saw Hikaru glaring at her. She never understood why Hikaru didn't like her.<p>

"Princes Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Queen Yuzuha, welcome," her father said, bowing to them. Haruhi curtsied, bowing her head.

"We're glad to be here, King Ryoji," Yuzuha replied. She smiled down at Haruhi. "My, Princess Haruhi, you look lovely. You should come over to our kingdom again to try on some new dresses."

Haruhi tried not to show her true thoughts of being dressed up. She hated being treated as a doll made to be shown off. "Of course, Your Majesty," she murmured, locking eyes with the Western queen.

Yuzuha clucked her tongue. "Now, now, none of that. We're almost family." She nudged her twin sons toward Haruhi. "Why don't you three go play?"

Kaoru smiled at Haruhi and bent to take her hand and bring it to his lips. Haruhi blushed but smiled back. "It's nice to see you again, Kaoru, Hikaru," she said.

"We're glad to see you too," Hikaru ground out, also kissing her hand but he looked disgusted.

Haruhi frowned but led the Hitachiin twins to the back yard where they could play. Yuzuha and Ryoji watched their children, smiling.

"It's too bad Hikaru doesn't like Haruhi," Ryoji remarked.

"He'll grow out of it soon enough," Yuzuha said. "Kaoru shows no interest in her other than being her friend."

Meanwhile, Haruhi played dungeons and dragons with the twins, playing the princess the hero needed to be saved by the prince, who was played by Hikaru. Kaoru immediately volunteered to be the dragon, forcing Hikaru to be the prince. Hikaru was not very enthusiastic but played his part well.

"Now kiss the princess, Hikaru," Kaoru said from his position on the floor.

"No way!" Hikaru said, dropping Haruhi from his arms.

"Oww! Hikaru!" Haruhi cried from the ground, reaching around for her ankle, which throbbed painfully and was bent awkwardly.

Hikaru turned his back as Kaoru got up and headed over to Haruhi, checking her ankle. "It's just sprained," Kaoru reported. He turned to Hikaru. "Say you're sorry."

"Sorry," Hikaru growled, not turning back. He stalked off.

"Why does he hate me so much?" Haruhi asked softly, watching him leave.

"He doesn't like how he's being forced to marry you when you get older," Kaoru replied.

"Why can't I marry you instead?"

The younger redhead didn't respond but helped the younger princess back toward the castle, letting her lean on him. Not that Kaoru wouldn't marry Haruhi if he could, but he believed Hikaru and Haruhi would make a better couple.

* * *

><p>Every year, the two families switched meeting places. This time, for Hikaru and Kaoru's 12th birthday, Ryoji and Haruhi decided to visit the Hitachiin castle. Since the town where the castle resided was across the ocean, the Fujioka's used their ship to cross the ocean.<p>

"Are you alright, Haruhi?" Ryoji asked, seeing his daughter's pale face.

"I think I'm seasick, Father," she mumbled.

Meanwhile, Kaoru stood outside his brother's room, listening to something being thrown at the wall. A few years ago, Hikaru asked their parents to separate the twins' rooms. The younger twin felt lonely but thought it was a good idea. Someday, Hikaru would be married to Haruhi and although Haruhi liked Kaoru, Kaoru didn't think she would want to share a bed with him and her husband. IF the wedding ever happened, of course.

"What's that racket?" Yuzuha asked her youngest son, coming up behind him.

"I think Hikaru is not in the mood to greet anyone, Mother."

His mother heaved a sigh and opened the door, narrowly missing a throwing knife, causing it to imbed itself in the far wall of the hallway. "What in the world?" She threw the door open and stared at the door, which had a drawing of Princess Haruhi. "What is the meaning of this, Hikaru Hitachiin?"

"I don't like her, Mother," Hikaru growled. "Make her go away."

"Absolutely not. Now get dressed and head down to the entrance hall to greet Haruhi and her father." Their mother turned and walked away angrily.

Kaoru snuck a glance at his older brother and left the corridor, missing his twin brother wrenching the knife from its place in the hallway and heading back to his room to throw the knife again.

* * *

><p>For Haruhi's 15th birthday, the twins and Yuzuha traveled to the Fujioka castle for the party, which turned out to be a ball. As the ball commenced, several young men came up to the young princess and flirted with her. The twins hung around a column, watching everything. Kaoru was pleased to note that Hikaru was glaring at all the other guys who came up to Haruhi and kissed her hand.<p>

"Jealous, Hikaru?" Kaoru teased.

Hikaru snapped his gaze away from Haruhi and glared at his twin instead. "No way! How could anyone like her? She doesn't act like a true princess."

"Is that really a bad thing? Not every princess or queen has to submit to their husband or whoever they are going to marry."

Hikaru let out a sigh and reached a hand back to scratch the back of his neck. "I know. Our own mother is proof of that. It's just…" He seemed at a loss for words.

"Just what, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked gently.

"There's something about her. It used to rub me the wrong way and I always got so irritated around her. It still does, but now it's changed."

"I think you are now seeing her as a girl instead of someone you were forced to meet every so often." The younger twin smiled. "This is a good thing."

Hikaru scoffed. "Yeah, a good thing because we are meant to get married and to merge our two kingdoms together."

"Why can't you just forget about that? Haruhi has. It's obvious that she cares for you as a friend."

The older twin glanced back at Haruhi, who was now laughing at a comment one of the guards made to her. She always looked beautiful but now that she was in her teens, her beauty had come out even more so. Haruhi hadn't lost her bluntness but she gained an intelligence that added to her beauty. Also, she seemed to respect people for who they were.

"We'll see, Kaoru," Hikaru mumbled, his golden eyes softening a little.

* * *

><p>A couple months later, Haruhi and Ryoji visited the Hitachiin castle for the announcement of Hikaru and Haruhi's engagement. The two soon-to-be-fiancés had grown closer since Haruhi's birthday party but were still nowhere as close as their parents wanted them to be. Kaoru had stepped up and told both of them that they should be lucky Hikaru and Haruhi are even talking to each other. Yuzuha and Ryoji reluctantly accepted the statement but couldn't help making comments to their children on how to get closer to the other.<p>

In the guest bedroom, Haruhi twirled in front of a mirror, gazing at her dress she chose to wear to the announcement party. It was pure white and ended a few inches above her silver two-inch heels. The dress also had long sleeves and the cuffs of the sleeves were done in gold as well as the trim on the hem. An off-white belt was slung around her hips, attempting to show off her curves. Her brown hair was flowing down her back instead of being pulled up into a bun or ponytail. A little bit of make-up adorned her face, enhancing her beauty.

"Time to go, princess," her father called from outside the door.

Haruhi twirled once more and exited the rooms, ignoring her father's cries of how beautiful she looked and how grown-up she was. She walked down the familiar corridors toward the ballroom, where the engagement would be announced. All of a sudden, she was nervous about meeting Hikaru. Despite how much he had hated her when they were younger, she always had a crush on him. The crush deepened as Hikaru allowed her to get to know him, but it wasn't quite love yet. She always wished that he would get over his hatred of her.

Her father finally caught up to her and together they reached the ballroom. Seeing Haruhi hesitate, Ryoji opened one of the side doors and shoved his daughter into the large room. On the other side of the ballroom, Hikaru had his back turned to where Haruhi was shoved in, scowling. Sure, he was closer to the princess than he was when they were younger, but he still wouldn't admit that he loved her. At least, he wouldn't admit aloud.

Haruhi turned around the same time that Hikaru decided to peek over his shoulder. When their eyes caught, gold meeting brown, time seemed to stop and the massive crowd in the ballroom melted away. Hikaru thought she looked beautiful in the white dress, showing off her creamy skin, while Haruhi thought the royal blue tuxedo suited him very well, making him attractive. So caught up in looking at the other, they didn't even realize they were moving toward each other until they were within kissing distance. With a slight blush, Hikaru fell to one knee and grasped Haruhi's slender hand, bringing it up to his lips. His eyes never left hers as he kissed her hand. Haruhi shivered at the emotions that swirled in his golden eyes.

"So happy to be here," Haruhi whispered.

Hikaru got up, never losing eye contact. "So grateful you could be here." A wide smile spread across his face as he offered his hand to her.

Haruhi placed her hand in his and together they walked toward the center of the ballroom, still unaware of the looks they were receiving, especially from their parents. Queen Yuzuha was squealing and jumping up and down while King Ryoji smiled happily. Hikaru stopped Haruhi in the center and wrapped his other arm around her waist while lifting their conjoined hands up and led her into a waltz. For several minutes, their eyes never left the other, oblivious to Yuzuha announcing their engagement and the applause and cheers they received. Then, after the music, Hikaru leaned down, though not much, to kiss her sweetly. Haruhi uttered a soft moan but made no move to deepen it. Yes, this was their idea of fun.

* * *

><p>"Do you really have to go now?" Hikaru asked, sounding sad.<p>

It was the day after the announcement and Ryoji came to tell the lovebirds that he and Haruhi had to head back to their kingdom. The two had been attached to each other, enjoying small amounts of skin contact, as they talked. Kaoru had been with them earlier but left, knowing that they needed time to bond.

"I don't want to, Hikaru, but we have preparations to make, a wedding dress to make, and other things," Haruhi replied, squeezing his hand in hers. "But think, in a few months we'll be married and then nothing will separate us."

Hikaru grinned. "I can't wait." He leaned forward and kissed her, savoring the press of her soft lips against his. "See you then," he whispered, pulling away.

"See you then." The brunette got up and headed toward the carriage awaiting her.

Kaoru joined his twin in wishing the princess a safe return and watched the carriage pull further away from them. The younger twin glanced at Hikaru from the side, hating the sad look on his face. "She'll be okay, Hika," Kaoru murmured.

"I hope so," Hikaru said. He raked a hand through his hair. "I've been a fool this whole time, haven't I? I hated her for no reason, other than the fact that she annoyed me."

"At least you realize it now," Kaoru said, smiling. "C'mon, let's go scare the maids again."

They just stepped inside the castle when they heard a shout coming from the gravel path that led to the road. The twins turned around and stared as one of their royal guards carried an injured man toward them. Hikaru noticed that the injured man's uniform indicated that he came from the Fujioka guards.

"What happened?" he found himself saying. A thousand scenarios played out in his mind, each one ending in his fiancée's death.

The injured guard gasped in a breath, literally wheezing as he replied, "Carriage… attacked… giant… beast."

Hikaru was gone by the time the man said that the carriage was attacked. Kaoru watched him grab a horse from the nearby stable and ride off, urging the horse to go as fast as it could. _Please, don't take Haruhi away from Hikaru_, Kaoru thought. _He just came to terms with his feelings for her._

* * *

><p>Hikaru was close to the shoreline when he saw the broken heap that was the Fujioka carriage. He slowed the horse and hurriedly jumped off, not caring if he hurt himself in the process. The older Hitachiin prince reached the carriage and began calling out Haruhi's name, his heart pounding in his chest.<p>

"Hi…karu…"

Hikaru stopped and glanced toward the forest, where King Ryoji lay in a puddle of blood. The redhead ran over to him, questions spilling from his lips.

"Don't…. have time," the king whispered. He coughed and blood slid down his chin.

"Where is she?" Hikaru nearly yelled.

"Taken…. Something stopped our carriage… a giant…. beast. Nothing is as it… seems, though." The king's brown eyes met Hikaru's. "Remember… that." Ryoji coughed a couple of times before he let out a sigh and fell silent and still.

Hikaru stared down at his future father-in-law, but he didn't really see the king. _Haruhi, where are you?_ He thought. _Wherever you are, I'll find you, even if I have to go through hell and back._

* * *

><p>"I see you are finally awake, my dear."<p>

Haruhi let out a groan and opened her eyes, staring at her captor. He was slightly shadowed so she couldn't see all his features. She scrunched her face as she tried to remember what it was that stopped their carriage. All she could think of at the moment was a huge roar and something tipping the carriage over. She had hit her head so she couldn't see whoever killed the men. From what she could tell, she was in a bedroom and she was lying on a bed. He was standing in a corner of the room.

"Where am I?" she asked, reaching to grab her head.

Since the man's face was slightly visible, she could see him smile. "You are safe, Princess Haruhi."

"But… what was it that attacked my carriage?"

"Ah… you see, I was the one who attacked your carriage, my dear." The man stepped closer into the light and Haruhi gasped. She knew this man.

"Ootori? Kyoya Ootori?"

Kyoya smirked down at her. "You remember now? That is good. It will make this much easier."

Haruhi attempted to stand but her head spun, so she sat back down on the bed she was lying in. "What are you doing, Kyoya? Why are you holding me hostage?"

Disappointment showed on his young, handsome face. "So you don't remember after all? Pity. Oh well." He sat down on an empty armchair. "My father was once a part of your father's court. We had met a few times when you were younger. My father had plans to marry us, but your father had already betrothed you to Prince Hikaru Hitachiin. Not only that, but my father was accused of a crime he never committed and he was kicked out of court. He had had enough money to purchase this castle but died when I was 10. I raised myself afterward and vowed revenge against the Fujioka family."

"I'm sorry for your father, but this is no way to get your revenge. You already killed my father, so your revenge would have been fulfilled."

Kyoya threw his head back and laughed. "You are very smart, Haruhi. You will be a perfect bride for me."

Haruhi stared at him in shock. "Bride?"

"That's right. My father wanted you to marry me, but as I said, he never had a chance. I'm fulfilling his final wish, for me to win you over and to make you my wife. Then we could become king and queen and win loyalty of the other kingdoms."

"I see. You are one of the men who are power-hungry and will do whatever it takes to get what he wants," Haruhi spat, glaring. "You don't even care about me!"

SLAP!

Haruhi's head snapped to her left, her cheek stinging from the force of his slap. She turned her eyes to gaze at Kyoya's angry gaze. His gray-black eyes were filled with fire.

"Don't talk about what you don't know! I do care for you. If I didn't, you would be dead along with your father. Fine, if you want to act like this, I will have no choice but to force my hand." He stood and headed over to a desk. Kyoya picked up a book and flipped the pages until he found what he wanted. "Until you agree to be my wife, this will be your punishment for going against me."

Haruhi had to strain to hear his soft voice whispering foreign words that sounded lyrical. She never believed in magic, since she had never seen anyone do a spell in front of her. While Kyoya was chanting, Haruhi began to feel her body burn painfully. She doubled over on the bed, clutching her stomach, as she curled into a ball. It wasn't until she could feel herself shrink and hear her bones snap that she realized she was transforming into something. She opened her mouth to scream but only a loud squawk came from her mouth. She opened her eyes and stared at the strange yellow beak in front of her. Haruhi raked her gaze along the rest of her body, whatever she could see, and started to freak out when she realized she had turned into a swan. The pain had finally gone, so she figured the spell was done.

"Remember, Haruhi, you forced my hand. Think of this as a lesson." Kyoya put the book down and headed toward the bed. He reached out a hand to stroke her feather and she snapped her beak at him. He chuckled. "But don't fret, my dear. When the moon is reflected on the lake here, you will turn back into yourself so we can talk about our marriage some more."

This time, when he reached out to her, she stayed still, her beady eyes glaring at him. Kyoya picked her up effortlessly and carried her outside, sitting her down on the shore of the large lake. He scratched at the feathers on top of her head and headed back inside. Haruhi collapsed down on the soft sand and cried, her heart aching. She cried out Hikaru's name to the clouded sky but only loud trumpeting noises could be heard.

* * *

><p>"Hikaru, aren't you taking this a bit too far?"<p>

Hikaru glanced sideways to his twin standing next to him. In front of the older twin, a servant was standing against a tree, an apple balanced on his head. Hikaru was holding a bow with an arrow already notched. The servant was shaking in terror but amazingly the apple on his head stayed still.

"Of course not, Kaoru." Hikaru drew back the bow and released the arrow. It missed the apple by a few inches. Another servant, standing beside the twins, offered another arrow.

Kaoru let out a sigh and raked a hand through his hair, watching his twin shoot arrows at the apple. Ever since Hikaru came back about a week ago and said that Haruhi had been kidnapped, he had been this way, training himself to take down a huge beast. The servants whispered that maybe Hikaru was a little crazy, but Kaoru knew better. However, he wondered just what was going on inside his twin's head, to go this far.

Finally, almost an hour later, Hikaru put away his bow and headed back to the castle. The servant, who was against the tree, let out a sigh of relief and snatched the apple from his head, which had two arrows in the red fruit.

* * *

><p>Far away, in another castle to the south, there was unlikely sight occurring in the moat. A pink bunny was sitting at the edge of the water, staring at the moat with a look of concentration. Beside it was a large green turtle, who was staring at the bunny with concern.<p>

"Are you sure about this, Mitsukuni?" the turtle asked slowly in his deep voice.

"Yes I am, Takashi! Haruhi needs our help," the bunny replied. Despite the fact the bunny was obviously male, the bunny had a high, cute voice that could almost be mistaken as a girl's voice.

Takashi let out a sigh. Mitsukuni giggled and leapt back. "Here I go!" The bunny charged forward and launched off of the shore, landing on a lily pad, and bounced off it to the next one. He got about halfway through the moat when he noticed something stirring in the water. Suddenly, near the opposite end of the moat, a large alligator emerged from the water, snapping its long jaws. Mitsukuni screamed and hurriedly jumped back to Takashi.

"I told you," Takashi said in a flat voice.

"Shut up," Mitsukuni grumbled. He glared at the alligator. "I'll find a way around you yet!"

"What's all the noise about now?"

The bunny and the turtle turned to face a beautiful swan, who was eyeing them with amusement. Mitsukuni blushed under look while Takashi looked amused as well. "Mitsukuni tried to get across the moat again," the turtle replied.

Haruhi let out a laugh. "I appreciate your help, Mitsukuni, but there is no need for you to endanger yourself for my sake."

"But I want to!" the bunny whined. "I know you want to go back to Hika-chan, but you are afraid of upsetting Ootori if you leave. So, I thought I could go in your place. Ootori doesn't know about me and Takashi!"

"It's sweet but there's no use. Hikaru wouldn't be able to understand you." The swan lowered her head slightly, a sad look on her face.

"Don't give up Haruhi," Takashi said.

"INCOMING!"

The three animals looked up toward the darkening sky. A small bird was plummeting toward the ground. It seemed to be scrambling to catch something before it hit the water surface. Takashi jumped into the water and turned himself over, stretching his legs to catch the bird. The bird landed on the turtle's underbelly and let out a large sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much for that!" it said in a smooth masculine voice. "I was afraid I would drown if I landed in the moat!"

"No problem," Takashi said.

He propelled them toward where Mitsukuni and Haruhi were waiting. As they got a good look at the bird, they realized he was a handsome young robin. He told them that his name was Tamaki and that he was part of the royal line of robins.

"I didn't think royalty extended past the human race," Mitsukuni said, cocking his head to the side.

Tamaki puffed out his chest. "Yes there is and I am next in line to head the robins." He turned to Haruhi and a blush seemed to form on his feathers. "I haven't seen a swan as beautiful as you, princess."

"Watch it, she's taken," Mitsukuni replied, a hint of a smile on his face. "In fact, she's really a human."

Tamaki looked confused. "She's clearly a swan, Mitsukuni."

"Watch," Takashi said, gesturing with his head toward the sky.

The four looked up to see the moon rising from the ground as the sun sank below the horizon. Haruhi smiled and made her way into the water, swimming to where the moon would reflect on the water. Once the moon's reflection hit the water, the swan was swallowed by a bright light. Tamaki shielded his eyes while Mitsukuni and Takashi watched with a smile. The light vanished almost a minute later and Tamaki opened his eyes. His beak fell open as wide as it could and he could not believe what he was seeing. A beautiful woman stood before him where the swan was, dressed in a long silver and white dress. Her long, brown hair tumbled down her back and her brown eyes shined with warmth as she glanced at them.

"Do you believe me now?" Mitsukuni said smugly to the robin.

"What…?" Tamaki asked, still flabbergasted.

"I'm under a curse," Haruhi said, sitting down next to them. Mitsukuni hopped up into her lap and she scratched at his ears. "I refused Kyoya Ootori and he cursed me to become a swan during the daylight hours. When the moon reflects on the water at night, I turn back into a human. I am betrothed to Prince Hikaru Hitachiin, who lives near here."

"Why haven't you gone back to this Hikaru guy?" Tamaki asked, seemingly accepting the situation.

Haruhi's face fell, her brown eyes turning dark with grief. "I've tried, Tamaki, but Kyoya has caught me as I was trying to escape every time. He got very angry with me and warned me to never try that again."

The robin turned to the turtle, since the bunny was currently in Haruhi's lap, not listening to anything, pleasure on his face as the princess rubbed his ears. "What about you? Can't you do anything to help her?"

"You think we haven't tried?" Takashi asked, looking angry.

"We can't get across the moat," Mitsukuni replied. "Those alligators in the water always get in the way."

"Oh." Tamaki turned to the moat and stared at it as he tried to think.

Takashi inched closer to Haruhi and pressed up against her side, causing her to smile. For a second, Tamaki glanced at the trio and even he couldn't help but smile at the scene. It was obvious they cared for each other, despite being different species. He felt slightly jealous of the bond they shared. As he turned back to the water, he instantly got an idea. "Hey! I know!"

"What?" the three asked.

Before Tamaki could speak, a soft rustling noise coming from a nearby bush stopped him. Mitsukuni jumped out of Haruhi's lap and into another bush. Takashi grabbed the robin, who squawked at him, and dragged him into the bush as well. Haruhi stood up and brushed off some dirt from her skirt.

"Hello Haruhi," a silky voice said. "I see you have learned your lesson, as you are still here."

Haruhi glared at the figure who stepped away from a tree. "Don't think I won't try again, Ootori."

Kyoya faked a hurt look. "How many times have I told you to call me by my first name, Haruhi?" She continued to glare and he let out a sigh, dropping his act. "I thought I would come out to see how you were and to see if you have thought about my offer more."

"My answer will always be the same," Haruhi said, crossing her arms.

"Pity. You know I wouldn't hurt you nor let you down, as I am sure Hikaru would." Kyoya took a step closer to her, a soft look appearing on his face. "I would treat you better than that stupid Hitachiin. As I recall, didn't he used to hate you when you were younger?"

Haruhi winced, remembering the heated look in Hikaru's golden eyes as he glared at her. She didn't see Kyoya move until his soft hand caressed her cheek. She looked up into his black eyes hidden by glasses. "I promise to you, Haruhi, I will treat you like you deserve to be treated. We would make an excellent pair, you and I."

"You know what?" Haruhi asked softly.

"Yes, Haruhi?" Kyoya asked just as softly, moving his face closer to hers.

Just as he was going to kiss her, Haruhi replied, "You are a great liar. Your father must've taught you well, how to romance a woman."

Kyoya paused and a genuinely hurt look graced his face for a second before his mask fell into place. He pulled back and the moon seemed to send a glare on the lenses of his glasses, hiding his eyes. "If that is what you think, then you will be stuck here as a swan for the rest of your life. I will still love you and wait for your answer to become my wife." With a graceful turn, he walked away into the woods.

Mitsukuni and Takashi stepped out from the bush, with Tamaki following, his small eyes wide.

"Is he the one who cursed you?" Tamaki asked Haruhi.

Haruhi sat down and nodded. "Yes, he is. He claims he loves me, but if he did, he would let me go."

"He's selfish, so he won't," Takashi said.

Tamaki flapped his wings and landed on Haruhi's arm, looking up at her with a sympathetic look. "Even if it takes the very last breath out of me, I will help you, Haruhi. You will be reunited with your prince."

Haruhi smiled and she rubbed the robin's head. "Thank you, Tamaki."

A blush appeared on the bird's cheeks again. "You know, if you were a robin, I wouldn't mind courting you."

"I'm flattered."

The four sat there, enjoying each other's company, until Haruhi let out a gasp and clutched her stomach. She glanced up at the sky and noticed it starting to become light out. Tamaki took off from her arm and watched as she headed back into the water, her dress flowing behind her.

"This is a tragic story," he murmured to his companions, watching her transform back into a swan as the moon vanished from the water's surface. "Oh! That's right! I had an idea for us to get Haruhi back to her prince's arms!"

"And what's that?" Mitsukuni asked, turning to the robin.

* * *

><p>Haruhi glanced down at the robin with a doubtful look on her face. "Are you sure this will work?"<p>

Tamaki puffed out his chest. "Of course, my princess! You will be back to Hikaru in no time! Now, you have flown before, right?"

The swan bobbed her head up and down. "Of course I have. Kyoya threatened to rip my wings off if I attempted to fly away again."

The robin shuddered. "I guarantee that he will not notice you are gone, not with this plan I put into place!"

Mitsukuni pouted as he sat on Takashi's shell. "Why are we being left behind again?"

"You two will distract Ootori while we make our getaway," Tamaki said, pouting a feather at the two. "I will make sure Haruhi goes back to her prince's castle. With a kiss of true love, the spell should break, correct?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "I have no idea, Tamaki. He never told me what would break the curse. I always thought it would only be Ootori."

"He must have gotten into the human fairy tales," Mitsukuni whispered to the turtle, who only smirked in response.

Tamaki huffed. "You are only jealous you are coming with. Ready, Haruhi?"

Haruhi nodded, swallowing her fear and doubt. She unfurled her wings and stretched them beside her.

The robin's eyes admired her wingspan. "You have beautiful wings, princess."

The swan blushed deeply. Mitsukuni scowled and jumped off of Takashi's back to slap the robin over the head. "Don't distract her! Just get going before it's too late."

"Right, right." Tamaki stretched out his wings. "Let's fly, my princess."

The two avians took off from the ground and flew above the trees. Mitsukuni and Takashi waited until they could no longer see them and turned back to the castle.

"Now we wait," Takashi said.

"I hate waiting," Mitsukuni mumbled, plopping down and crossing his arms.

* * *

><p>"Hikaru! Where are you going?"<p>

The older twin turned back to see Kaoru running to catch up to him. Hikaru was perched on top of his favorite horse, his bow and arrow slung over a shoulder.

"I'm going to go find this beast and make it tell me where Haruhi is."

Kaoru let out a sigh. "Hikaru, the beast cannot tell you where she is. It can't even talk."

"King Ryoji said that nothing's like what it seems. Maybe the beast can talk. If so, I will not stop until I find her, whether she's dead or alive." A pained look flew across the older redhead's face.

Kaoru's face softened and he grabbed for his twin's head, squeezing it. "Ride hard," he whispered, a similar pained look spreading across his face. "Bring our princess back to us."

Hikaru squeezed back and let go, grabbing hold of the reins in front of him. He cracked them down harshly and his horse sped forward, galloping at a fast pace toward the wooded area. Kaoru watched until he could no longer see them. A tear fell down from his eye and streaked down his face.

* * *

><p>Haruhi panted as she flapped her wings to keep up with Tamaki, who was at least a few yards ahead of her. She had never gone as far as this before. Her heart was pounding with fear and hope. Maybe, just maybe, Tamaki's plan would work and she would be back with Hikaru.<p>

"You can do it, Haruhi!" Tamaki called, turning his head to look back at her.

"I… am… out… of… practice," she panted, her wings moving slower and slower.

Tamaki looked around before turning back to her. "Let's rest for a bit before we go much further. You'll not last much longer without rest."

The two dropped down until they found a good tree to land on. The robin eyed Haruhi with concern as her chest heaved. "I am guessing you haven't flown much," he said.

"I haven't gone long distance before," Haruhi replied.

Tamaki opened his beak to reply but the sound of a twig snapping stopped him from doing so. He panicked and looked down, hoping it wasn't Ootori. The robin let out a sigh as a human with red hair passed below them, having not noticed them. However, he didn't see Haruhi's eyes widen. It wasn't until she opened her wings that he noticed something was wrong.

"Haruhi! Where are you going?" Tamaki asked.

"That was Hikaru!" she replied, launching off from the branch and diving down to follow the red-haired human.

Tamaki let out a sigh and dropped to follow her. "Come back here, Haruhi!"

* * *

><p>Hikaru tied the horse's reins around a broken tree stump before journeying deep into the woods with his bow and arrow. His gold eyes raked the bushes and trees for any sign of the beast who had his beloved. King Ryoji's words rang through his head, reminding him that nothing was as it seemed.<p>

At any sound, he pointed the arrow towards it, his paranoia getting the best of him several times. When nothing came out, he relaxed and moved forward. It wasn't until he saw a flash of white that he realized something was following him. Hikaru aimed his arrow toward the flash of light, not even putting down his arrow when he saw it was a swan. Swans were extremely rare in these parts.

"Come closer," he whispered, his golden eyes trained on the swan.

* * *

><p>Haruhi could barely contain the tears in her eyes as she flew after Hikaru. She didn't care that she was a swan. She finally found her fiancé and nothing would stop her from going back to him. It wasn't until she got closer to him that he had stopped and was pointing an arrow at her. <em>Hikaru, it's me!<em> She wanted to scream, but she knew that he wouldn't understand her. Haruhi ducked when the arrow was loosed. She could hardly believe Hikaru would shoot her, even if she was a swan.

"I know what you are," she heard Hikaru cry as she circled above him. "Tell me where Haruhi is and I might spare your life."

Haruhi's heart plummeted. He thought she was the one who took her? Not only that, but he was talking to an animal. For all he knew, Hikaru could be talking to just an animal, but she knew Hikaru was smart.

Hikaru growled and notched another arrow. Haruhi let out a sigh, wishing right now she had the ability to transform back into herself. At that moment, a light bulb flickered on in her head. Her brown eyes went toward the sky, noticing how it was getting darker. If she could lure him back to the lake, she would transform back into herself and the truth would be revealed.

With this plan in mind, she darted off into the forest, relying on her animal instincts to guide herself back to the lake on time.

Tamaki caught up to her at this point, and he didn't look happy. "You could have been killed! What were you thinking?"

"I have a plan, Tamaki."

The robin looked skeptical. "And what's that?"

Haruhi smiled, as much as a bird could smile. "I'm luring him to the lake by the castle. He will realize what is going on when I transform back into a human."

"That's a good idea! Oh, I'm so proud of my little girl!"

The swan gave Tamaki a funny look and continued to fly, dodging any arrows that tried to hit her.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Hikaru cursed, chasing after the swan.<p>

He knew this bird was no normal bird, for it was avoiding his arrows in ways he knew birds wouldn't. As he ran deeper in the woods, the red-haired prince wondered where the swan was taking him. He hoped it was to Haruhi. His heart jumped a little at the thought of seeing his fiancée at last.

After what seemed like hours, Hikaru finally noticed that they were getting closer to what looked to be an abandoned castle. He had never known this castle was here before. Once he rescues Haruhi, he would have to come back to investigate with his twin.

* * *

><p>"Almost… there," Haruhi panted.<p>

Tamaki, too, was nearly out of breath. "Your lover is an excellent archer," he said.

A light blush appeared on the swan's face. "He isn't my lover!" she hissed.

Mitsukuni and Takashi were still in their same spot, looking at them with confusion. "Why are you back so soon?" Mitsukuni asked.

"Her lover boy is following us! She's luring him here so she can transform!" Tamaki nearly yells, landing next to the two.

"Good idea," Takashi rumbled, watching the swan land gracefully into the water.

"But, would he even realize it's her?" Mitsukuni asked. "He might think it could be an illusion."

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing," Tamaki replied softly. "I just hope it doesn't end with her getting an arrow in her heart."

The three companions watched from their position as a tall, red-haired human press against a tree, an arrow notched on his bow, golden eyes resting on the swan on the lake. A patch of fluffy clouds slowly moved away from the crescent moon, letting the round, white planet to shed light onto the lake.

Haruhi smiled as she was enveloped into a column of bright light. She had waited for what seemed like ages to see Hikaru again and now she would get the chance to be with him again.

* * *

><p>Hikaru shielded his eyes as the bright light flashed across his eyes. Once the light vanished, he would face whatever the swan turned into and forced it to tell him where Haruhi is. He knew something had been wrong about the swan and he was glad he followed it.<p>

The light vanished and Hikaru blinked, taking his arm away from his eyes. He aimed his arrow while he waited for his eyes to adjust. When they did, however, he couldn't help but gape at the sight before him.

"Hikaru?"

Hikaru continued to stare at the image of his fiancée standing where the swan was. He wanted to drop his bow and rush to her, but something was off. Maybe the beast was just a shapeshifter and shifted into what would throw him off balance.

The red-haired prince glared. "If you are the real Haruhi, you would answer this question truthfully." He tried to not react when he noticed Haruhi's eyes tear up at his words. "How did we first meet?"

Haruhi swallowed. "Your mother and my father wanted us to marry, so your mother, Yuzuha Hitachiin, had you and your twin, Kaoru, come over to my castle. We were put into an arranged marriage."

Hikaru's eyes widened. Could it be Haruhi? She did answer truthfully. Then… oh dear Lord, he was pointing an arrow at his fiancée! Hikaru dropped his bow but couldn't find it in himself to move. He was still in shock. The swan he followed was Haruhi and he nearly killed her!

He wasn't aware of Haruhi moving until he felt her slim arms wrap around him. Hikaru let out a shuddering breath and hugged her back hard, tears pricking his golden eyes.

"Oh, Haruhi, I'm so sorry!" he whispered against her hair. He pressed a kiss to her head. "I didn't know…"

"Shh, I know," Haruhi whispered back. "I'm so glad to see you."

Hikaru pulled back to look her over. Other than looking a bit thinner, nothing had changed about her. "By the way, how ARE you a swan anyway?"

He listened as Haruhi explained her tale and he found himself wanting to run into the castle before him and rip out Ootori's heart. He knew the tale behind Kyoya Ootori but he had no idea the youngest son of the Ootori line could do magic, nor capable of murder.

"I'm going to kill that bastard," Hikaru growled, glaring at the dark castle.

"Hikaru, no! If you kill him, I would still be stuck as a swan during the day! I dare say that the people would not be happy to have a swan as a queen," Haruhi replied sternly.

"Then what the hell should I do? I can't just waltz up to him and ask nicely to turn you back!" Hikaru shouted, pulling at his hair. "Besides, I could tell everyone the story and make them treat you with the same respect," he added under his breath.

The two were silent as they tried to rein in their frustration at the current predicament. As they thought about what to say, a stray thought came to Hikaru and he turned back to Haruhi, his golden eyes glowing with excitement. "I may have an idea as to how to break your curse."

"And what's that?" Haruhi asked, her brown eyes looking wary.

"In all the stories we were told, true love is what conquers everything. Tomorrow night, at my castle, my mother is holding a ball. I will send a carriage here to pick you up once the moon has risen. That night, I will profess my undying love to everyone in the kingdom and that statement will break the curse on you! After that, I will gather my best men and take down Ootori!"

* * *

><p>Haruhi listened, not sure what to think about the idea. It didn't hurt, but something about it seemed wrong.<p>

"I'll be here waiting," she replied, smiling.

Hikaru grinned and placed a hand on her cheek, using a finger to stroke the soft skin. Haruhi closed her eyes and let him continue, wanting to bask in the moment forever. By tomorrow night, she would be human again and free to marry him.

She didn't know how long they stood there like that, but she could feel the moon begin to set in the sky. With her heart sinking, she pulled away from the red-haired prince. "I have to go. My time is up, Hikaru."

"Don't forget, Haruhi," Hikaru said, watching her. But before she got close to the water, he rushed over to her and kissed her on the lips.

Haruhi let him kiss her, wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips before he pulled away. "I will come for you and Ootori will regret even getting a glance at you."

Haruhi smiled and treaded deeper into the water. She knew Hikaru was watching her and with that thought, the moon was blocked out of the lightening sky and she transformed back into her swan form. She swiveled her head to look back at him. He smiled and waved before taking his bow and vanishing into the forest.

"How romantic."

Haruhi gasped and turned to look at Kyoya, who was smirking against a tree. Tonight he was dressed in all black, making his light skin glow. "It amuses me that he thinks to take me down so easily."

"You cannot stop him," Haruhi hissed. "He will free me tomorrow night and you will go down."

Kyoya waded out into the water until he reached her. He smirked down at her. "But my dear, I do not think you will be in attendance. That boy will not know the difference between you or, say, some illusion of you." He watched her eyes widen in fear. "I was not kidding when I said I would not let you go, my dear. You and I will be wed. I can wait."

Haruhi was opening her beak to answer him when she felt sleepy. She tried to glare at the man but felt herself surrender to the darkness. Kyoya picked up the sleeping swan and carried her into his castle, to the dungeons.

* * *

><p>Hikaru stared down at the growing crowd filling the grand ballroom, his golden eyes scanning each guest as they were announced. Yuzuha glanced out of the corner of her eye at her oldest son. When he came in the previous night, grinning ear to ear, she had no idea that he would announce he found his bride. No word had turned up about Princess Haruhi and she had to watch as her son deteriorated in front of her, heartbroken. However, tonight she was ecstatic as well as curious. Who had replaced Haruhi in his heart?<p>

Kaoru himself was worried about his brother's announcement. After all this training, all the late night ramblings about saving her, Hikaru was getting married to another girl? Nothing made sense. The younger twin eyed his older brother, his mind frantically trying to piece together the puzzle in his mind.

"Hikaru, just who is this girl?" Kaoru asked out loud.

"You'll find out tonight," Hikaru replied, a smile on his face. "She's the one."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes and turned back to watch the guest flow in the front doors. Something fishy was going on and he hoped nothing bad happened tonight.

* * *

><p>Haruhi struggled in the chains binding her to the castle wall. She was stuck inside a half-decaying tower, with the roof gone so moonlight flooded the chamber. Water filled a small portion of the tower so she was floating on top of it. Spiral stairs lined the tower that led up to a single door connecting the tower to the rest of the castle. Kyoya fled through that door after securing her, mumbling under his breath about preparations.<p>

"It's useless," she whispered, sagging. "Hikaru won't know the difference between me and that illusion. Then I will…."

"Not if we can help it, Haru-chan!"

The swan twisted her head to the stairs, almost grinning when her eyes fell upon Mitsukuni. The bunny pointed down and she also noticed Takashi, who popped his head out of the water.

"How did you get in?" she asked as Takashi swam toward her.

"There's a decent-sized hole in the tower wall we swam through," Mitsukuni replied, looking smug. "We overheard what Ootori was planning and watched him see your doppelganger off in the carriage Hikaru sent. If things go as planned, we will get you out of here and off to your prince in time for the curse to be broken." The bunny was bouncing on his feet happily.

"I will try to not hurt you," Takashi said as he moved toward the chains. Haruhi nodded and looked away as the turtle began to chomp through the metal. Luckily it was not re-enforced, for the chains snapped easily. "Now go," he whispered.

Haruhi thanked the two and ducked underwater, easily spotting the hole. _I'm coming Hikaru_, she thought.

* * *

><p>Hikaru stood in the ballroom, occasionally chatting to the odd royal member who approached. His eyes were glued to the ballroom door, awaiting Haruhi's arrival. He checked the sky earlier and noticed that there was not a single cloud in the sky. Haruhi would be human the entirety of the night, just long enough to break the curse for good.<p>

"Announcing… oh my…."

Hikaru turned to the announcer and grinned as he noticed Haruhi walking in, looking beautiful in her dark blue gown. He paid no attention to the gasps and whispers as he strode across the floor to meet his future wife.

"There you are," he greeted, bowing and kissing her hand. "I was worried the carriage got held up by Ootori or something."

Haruhi smiled down at him. The older Hitachiin rose and guided her to the center of the ballroom.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," Hikaru called, drawing attention to himself.

* * *

><p>Despite how weak she was, Haruhi continued pumping her wings faster and faster toward the Hitachiin castle. It was lucky that clouds covered the sky or she wouldn't get there fast enough. When she finally caught sight of the castle, she grinned and started to slow down, fanning out her tail feathers slightly to break herself. She landed on a ledge and peered down into the ballroom.<p>

What she saw froze the very breath in her lungs.

Hikaru was standing in the middle of the room with an exact copy of herself attached to his arm.

"NOO! HIKARU!" she screamed, banging on the window. Haruhi snapped at the latch on the window, only to find it wasn't going to open.

She flew from window to window, trying to find a way inside, only to come up unlucky. The swan could feel something stirring inside herself, growing colder and colder, but she ignored it. She only wanted to get to Hikaru, to stop him.

* * *

><p>"I have brought you all together tonight to formally announce my engagement to Princess Haruhi Fujioka. I know you remember the announcement our parents made months ago, but this is completely different. Tonight, I make an everlasting vow, a vow of eternal love." Hikaru paused to let the audience clap and cheer. He turned to Haruhi and smiled widely. "Haruhi Fujioka, tonight, I vow to be your one and only. I promise to love you and cherish you for as long as we both shall live."<p>

Kaoru clapped but could not ignore the chill coursing through his body. Something was happening.

* * *

><p>Haruhi began to feel faint. Her energy seemed to be zapped from her body, darkness edging her line of vision. "No…. Hika….." She let go of the ledge, the curse destroying her from within.<p>

* * *

><p>Hikaru bent his head and kissed Haruhi on the lips, smiling when she eagerly responded. He knew the curse was broken by his vow and allowed himself to revel in her body against his, drowning out the rising noise of clapping. They only broke apart when the doors were slammed open and Kyoya Ootori stood in the doorway, dressed smartly in a black tuxedo with a black cape tied at his throat.<p>

Kyoya was smirking at them. "I hear congratulations are in order for this couple."

Around him, another series of gasps sounded. Hikaru paid them no attention. "You bastard. You dare to enter my castle? By the way, your curse on Haruhi is forever broken."

The slightly older boy tilted his head back and laughed. His deep laugh echoed around the room, silencing everyone. "Oh no, my dear prince. I would know if the curse was broken and trust me, it isn't."

Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "How so? Haruhi is standing right next…" He turned to look at his fiancée but his eyes grew wide as he saw her began to fade, like she was never there. The image winked and blew him a kiss as it vanished completely.

The dark wizard's smirk grew. "You see, Haruhi was never here. And if my calculations are correct, at this very moment, the REAL Haruhi is dying."

"What do you mean?" Hikaru yelled, clenching his fists.

"You pronounced a vow of true love to an image of Haruhi. When you did, the curse started to destroy your precious Haruhi, therefore ending her life."

Hikaru was about to run over and punch the bastard in the face when Kaoru stepped in front of him. The younger twin turned to face his older twin. "Go after her, Hikaru. We can take care of him."

The older Hitachiin stared at his brother, nodded, and ran out of the castle, snatching the reins of his horse and forced the mammal racing toward Ootori castle. "How could I have been so stupid?" he reprimanded himself as he galloped on the road. "Haruhi, I'm so sorry!"

* * *

><p>"There she is!" Tamaki announced, jumping up and down.<p>

"Wait a minute, she's still a swan," Mitsukuni said, frowning. "What happened?"

The three animals watched as the small speck in the sky grew into the image of Haruhi and their hearts dropped when they saw how hard she was struggling to stay awake. She was dipping in and out of the trees, flying erratically. Eventually, she crash-landed into the soft sandbar next to the lake, unmoving.

Tamaki, Mitsukuni, and Takashi rushed over to their friend, calling out her name. They tried shaking her, but she was not responding. The three stopped when they heard another voice screaming Haruhi's name. Hikaru was panting, leaning against a tree to catch his breath, but his eyes were only for the swan. The prince dashed forward and fell to his knees beside her.

"Oh, Haruhi, what have I done?" he whispered pathetically, gently picking up her body. "I'm so sorry. I should have known that was a fake. I will rescind my earlier vow and give another."

"…too late…"

The others gathered around her jumped and stared at the swan, whose eyes were open slightly.

"It's never too late," Hikaru said gently, touching her small head.

A cloud moved out of the way of the moon, casting a moon beam onto the lake. Haruhi's swam body swiftly transformed back into her human form, with her head in Hikaru's lap. Her brown eyes stared up into his teary golden orbs.

"I love you, Hikaru," she whispered.

Hikaru bit back a sob. "You'll be fine, Haruhi. I called some re-enforcements to come to Ootori castle. They will be here soon."

"It's too late for me. By the time they arrive," she let out a cough, "I will be…."

"Just hang on!"

Haruhi's brown eyes smiled up at him, even as she began to slump in his arms, her life escaping her. Hikaru stared down at her, numb, and after a minute he let out a scream of agony. Tamaki, Takashi, and Mitsukuni bowed their heads, tears rolling down their cheeks, mourning for their friend.

"THE VOW WAS MEANT FOR HER!" Hikaru howled at the moon.

"Such a pity she had to die."

Hikaru whipped his head back with nearly enough force to snap his neck, glaring at the form of Kyoya Ootori. He was slouched against a tree, that smirk still on his face.

"You will pay for this!" the redhead growled.

"You think you can take me on, little boy?" Kyoya asked. He pushed away from the tree and walked toward them. A dark glow enveloped his entire body. "Feel free to do so."

The three animals jumped back as Hikaru got up and charged the older man, drawing the sword at his side. Kyoya laughed and dodged the blade swiftly. As Hikaru readied to attack him again, the last remaining Ootori chanted under his breath, evoking a spell. His body grew and expanded, transforming into a large beast Hikaru could only link to that of a dragon, only it was wingless.

"I will finish you off and take control over the region," the thing spoke in Kyoya's voice. "It won't take long to gain the other countries."

Kyoya and Hikaru charged into battle. The three animals watched as Hikaru attempted to slain the beast only to get knocked back.

"What can we do?" Tamaki asked frantically.

Takashi watched the battle intently. "We can distract Ootori so Hikaru can land the fatal blow," the turtle replied.

"CHARGE!" Mitsukuni yelled, dashing toward one of the beast's legs. Takashi toddled over to the water as Tamaki took to the air, dive-bombing toward one of Ootori's eyes.

"You stupid bird!" Kyoya growled, snapping his long jaw as Tamaki neared. Tamaki, however, was quicker and avoided the mouth. Takashi poked his head out of the water and squirted the beast's face with water, causing Kyoya to scream in outrage.

Hikaru stared blankly but got up with renewed strength. He had a strange feeling the animals were helping. He changed the grip on his sword and ran at the beast, stabbing the blade into the beast's leg.

Kyoya laughed and lifted the leg, intending to stomp the human. His plan was foiled when Hikaru was knocked aside by a powerful wave of water. The beast turned to glare at the small animal when the robin dived toward his eye and successfully scratched it.

"Now's your chance!" Tamaki screamed at Hikaru.

Hikaru blinked as the robin chirped urgently, until he noticed the bloodied eye of the beast. He immediately understood what he had to do. He pushed himself up from the ground and charged the beast, aiming for its chest. His sword sank easily into the chest. Blood gushed from the wound and Kyoya let out a scream. Hikaru stepped back, watching as the creature began to disappear into puffs of smoke.

He didn't know how long he stood there after Kyoya vanished, but once he regained his senses, he dashed toward Haruhi, who was still not moving.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi," he whispered. The prince leaned down and kissed her gently, tears slipping down from his cheek to hers.

He sobbed into her neck, arms clutching her to him. He didn't even notice his mother and brother arriving, their eyes drinking in the scene in front of them. Kaoru quietly approached his crying brother, his own heart screaming at the sight of Haruhi's body.

"How could t-this happen?" Hikaru whimpered. "Oh, God, Haruhi, I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>"…Haruhi…."<p>

Haruhi stirred and opened her eyes. She gasped as she took in the two people bent over her, smiling.

"Mother, Father!"

Kotoko and Ryoji Fujioka welcomed their daughter into their arms, embracing her as she cried. She wept into her father's chest until she could no longer cry anymore.

"Am I dead?" she whispered.

"Not yet, darling," Kotoko replied, running a hand through her daughter's hair. "That is up to you."

Haruhi looked up into her mother's kind eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You can choose to come with us, or you can go back to the boy who needs you desperately," Ryoji explained gently. "We would rather you go back and live the rest of your life, however." Kotoko glared at her husband.

"Let her make her decision, Ryoji," she hissed.

Haruhi pondered her decision as her parents playfully bickered. As much as she would love to stay with her parents, she knew she would want to be back in Hikaru's arms, in the arms of the man she loved more than anything. He would retreat back into his shell if she remained dead.

As soon as she made her decision, her vision began to swim. She clutched her parents for a second before standing back, smiling despite her tears. "I will see you again."

"Not until you are much older," Ryoji agreed.

"Goodbye, darling. Give Hikaru our love and blessing," Kotoko said, her own tears slipping down her face.

* * *

><p>Hikaru didn't know how long he kneeled on the sand, clutching Haruhi like a lifeline. He vaguely heard his mother attempting to shake him out of his stupor, but he didn't respond. Life was no longer worth living, not without her. His hand stroked her hair gently, his golden eyes staring at her face, as if expecting her to wake any minute.<p>

"Hikaru, Haruhi's dead," Kaoru's choked voice said, slicing a knife through his body.

He didn't respond. He refused to believe that. As he bent down to kiss her again, he heard a sharp gasp coming from the unresponsive body in his lap. Hikaru paused, his eyes wide as he took in Haruhi's eyes blinking open.

No one moved, staring disbelieving as Haruhi gulped in deep breaths of air. Even Tamaki, Mitsukuni, and Takashi stared in wonder, their hearts finally beating again.

Haruhi only had eyes for Hikaru, her heart breaking at the sight of his now-red eyes. "Don't cry for me, my love."

"H-Haruhi." Her name slipped past his lips reverently. Hikaru broke out into a grin and kissed her hard. "Don't do that to me again. I-I thought you were…."

"I was, but I came back." She lifted a hand to touch his wet cheek. "I love you, Hikaru Hitachiin."

Hikaru let out a small laugh, not listening to the cheering around them. "I love you too, Haruhi Fujioka. Forever and for always."

* * *

><p>End<p>

Man…. This story was a pain to finish, but I am finally done. –author goes to her corner and collapses- Thanks again, guys, for being awesome and loyal. I am so sorry this took so long. I am gonna take a small break, then dive into the next chapter.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR WHICH HOST WILL GET HARUHI IN CHAPTER 7!


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